Paycheck guides, 2026
How your pay is actually calculated, written for people seeing their first real paycheck. Every rate and threshold on these pages is read from the published source it cites — none of it is typed into a sentence and hoped for.
How much will my first paycheck actually be?
Your first paycheck is smaller than your salary divided by the number of pay periods, and usually smaller than the one after it. Here is exactly what comes out, and why the first one is the strangest.
Last reviewed 2026-07-20Gross pay vs. net pay: where the money actually goes
Gross pay is what you agreed to. Net pay is what you can spend. Everything between them, in the order it comes out, and why the gap is wider than the tax rates suggest.
Last reviewed 2026-07-20How to fill out a W-4 without overpaying
The W-4 decides how much federal tax comes out of every paycheck. What each step does, the mistake that catches almost everyone with two jobs, and why a big refund is not a win.
Last reviewed 2026-07-20Why is my paycheck smaller than I expected?
A checklist for the gap between the number you expected and the number that arrived — from the W-4 you filled in months ago to the bonus that was withheld at a different rate.
Last reviewed 2026-07-20