Wisconsin Paycheck Calculator 2026: Take-Home Pay

	Per paycheck	Per month	Per year
Gross pay	$2,500.00	$5,416.67	$65,000.00
401(k) contribution	$125.00	$270.83	$3,250.00
Federal income tax	$201.15	$435.83	$5,230.00
Social Security	$155.00	$335.83	$4,030.00
Medicare	$36.25	$78.54	$942.50
Wisconsin income tax	$82.96	$179.75	$2,157.00
Take-home pay	$1,899.63	$4,115.88	$49,390.50

Wisconsin paycheck taxes at a glance

Income tax on wages	Progressive, 3.5% – 7.65%
Minimum wage (2026)	$7.25 an hour (same as the federal minimum; $2.33 cash wage for tipped employees)

2026 Wisconsin income tax brackets (single filers)

Taxable income	Rate
$0 – $15,109	3.5%
$15,110 – $51,949	4.4%
$51,950 – $332,719	5.3%
$332,720 and up	7.65%

Example: a $80,200 salary in Wisconsin

The median household income in Wisconsin is about $80,213 (2025 data). Here's what one earner with that salary, paid every two weeks, filing single with no pre-tax deductions, would see on each paycheck in 2026:

Gross pay	$3,084.62
Federal income tax	−$339.00
Social Security	−$191.25
Medicare	−$44.73
Wisconsin income tax	−$125.08
Take-home pay	$2,384.56

That's $61,999 a year in take-home pay, or 22.7% of gross pay going to taxes.

Take-home pay by salary in Wisconsin

Single filer, paid biweekly, standard W-4, no pre-tax deductions:

Salary	Per paycheck	Per year	State taxes	Total tax rate
$40,000	$1,278.31	$33,236	$1,084	16.9%
$60,000	$1,858.48	$48,320	$2,070	19.5%
$80,000	$2,379.60	$61,870	$3,240	22.7%
$100,000	$2,875.10	$74,752	$4,428	25.2%
$150,000	$4,095.45	$106,482	$7,309	29%
$200,000	$5,344.91	$138,968	$9,959	30.5%

What changed for 2026

The brackets and standard deduction were adjusted for inflation. For single filers, the 4.4% bracket now runs from $15,110 to $51,950 of taxable income, up from $14,680 to $50,480 for 2025, and the maximum standard deduction rose from $13,560 to $13,960.

Wisconsin pay rules worth knowing

Employers must pay at least monthly, for wages earned no more than 31 days before payday. Logging and farm workers can be paid quarterly.
If you quit or are discharged, your final wages are due by the date you'd normally have been paid, or by the monthly deadline if that comes first.

A standard deduction that fades out

Wisconsin’s standard deduction depends on your income. A single filer gets $13,960 for 2026 on Wisconsin income up to about $20,000. Above that, the deduction shrinks by 12 cents for every additional dollar until it’s gone at $136,453. Each person also gets a $700 exemption.

Because you lose deduction as you earn more, each extra dollar is taxed a little harder than the bracket rate suggests. For a single filer, the calculator shows:

$40,000 to $60,000 of pay: about 4.93% in Wisconsin tax on each extra dollar, in the 4.4% bracket.
$80,000 to $120,000: about 5.94%, in the 5.3% bracket.
$150,000: 5.3%, because the deduction is already gone.

So a raise in the middle of the range can cost more in state tax per dollar than the same raise at a higher salary.

The wider 4.4% bracket

2025 Wisconsin Act 15 moved the line between the 4.4% and 5.3% brackets much higher, starting with 2025. For single filers, the 5.3% rate used to begin at $28,640 of taxable income (2024). It now begins at $51,950 for 2026. Married couples filing jointly reach 5.3% at $69,260. The 3.5% and 7.65% rates didn’t change.

Wisconsin’s withholding guide, Publication W-166, still lists withholding tables effective for wages paid on or after January 1, 2022. Withholding doesn’t track the current brackets exactly, so expect some difference between what’s withheld and what this calculator estimates for the year. That gap gets settled when you file.

Living near the border

Wisconsin has reciprocity agreements with Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. If you live in one of those states and work in Wisconsin, file Form W-220 with your employer so Wisconsin tax isn’t withheld. Wisconsin residents working in those states pay Wisconsin tax on those wages instead.

Minnesota isn’t on the list. A Wisconsin resident working in Minnesota pays Minnesota tax on those wages and claims a credit on the Wisconsin return. The credit can’t be claimed for tax paid to the four reciprocity states on wages. If any was withheld, you get it back by filing a return in that state.

Hourly pay

Wisconsin’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate, with a $2.33 cash wage for tipped employees. The salary calculator converts hourly pay into annual income, and the income tax calculator estimates your full-year federal tax.

Estimates only. Your employer’s payroll system, your W-4 and WT-4 determine your actual paycheck.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

I live in Wisconsin and work in Illinois. Which state taxes my wages?

Wisconsin. Under the reciprocity agreement, Illinois generally won't tax your wages, and you report them on your Wisconsin return. The Illinois agreement covers wages, salaries, commissions and similar pay, but not self-employment income. Wisconsin has reciprocity with Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan too.

I live in Wisconsin and work in Minnesota. How does that work?

Minnesota isn't one of Wisconsin's reciprocity partners, so Minnesota taxes the wages you earn there. Your employer can withhold Minnesota tax instead of Wisconsin tax, and you claim a credit for net tax paid to Minnesota on your Wisconsin return. If you expect to owe Wisconsin $500 or more at filing time, make estimated payments.

How does Wisconsin's sliding standard deduction work?

For 2026, a single filer gets the full $13,960 deduction on Wisconsin income up to $20,119. Above that, it shrinks by 12% of the income over $20,120 and reaches zero at $136,453. For married couples filing jointly, the full deduction is $25,840 and it phases out by $159,690.

What did 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 change?

It raised the income level where the 4.4% bracket ends and the 5.3% bracket begins, for every filing status. For single filers, the 5.3% rate started at $28,640 of taxable income in 2024. After the change it started at $50,480 for 2025, and $51,950 for 2026.

Can Wisconsin employers pay young workers less than $7.25?

For a limited time. Workers under 20 can be paid an opportunity wage of $5.90 an hour for their first 90 consecutive days on the job. After 90 days, or once they turn 20, they must get at least $7.25.

Facts verified November 6, 2026. Estimates only; your employer's payroll system and your W-4 determine your actual withholding.

Your paycheck

2026 paycheck totals