Final Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your last paycheck after you quit or get fired, including final wages, unused PTO payout, tax withholding, and your state's pay deadline.
Final Paycheck Calculator
Your job and state
Use the state where you work, not where the company is headquartered.
Hourly pay
Salaried pay
Leave days worked blank for one full salaried paycheck.
PTO, taxes, and extras
Taxed like supplemental wages. Leave at 0 if none.
Federal and state income tax here are labeled estimates. FICA is exact for a single check. Your employer may withhold a different income-tax amount based on your W-4.
Deadline and PTO rules are general guidance for 2026. State law is nuanced and policy-driven, so confirm with your state labor department.
How to calculate your final paycheck
Your final paycheck starts with the wages you earned but have not been paid yet. If you are hourly, that is your rate times the hours worked in the final period. If you are salaried, you prorate the last period: divide the annual salary by the pay periods in a year, then multiply by the days you actually worked over the work days in a full period. Leave the days-worked field blank and the tool returns one full paycheck.
Next, add any unused PTO or vacation payout. The tool values each unused hour at your hourly rate, or at salary divided by 2,080 hours for salaried workers. Add severance or a final bonus if you are getting one. That sum is your total final gross. Subtract federal, Social Security, Medicare, and state withholding, and what remains is your estimated net.
Quick example: an hourly worker at $25 an hour with 32 hours in the final week and 40 unused PTO hours earns $800 in wages plus $1,000 in PTO, for $1,800 gross. FICA takes $137.70, the 22% federal estimate takes $396, and a 5% state estimate takes $90, leaving roughly $1,176 net before any state-specific adjustments.
Final paycheck deadlines by state (quit vs. fired)
The deadline to receive your check turns on two things: your work state and whether you quit or were let go. When an employer fires you, several states demand payment right away. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Montana all require the check immediately or the same day for a discharge. When you resign, most states extend the clock to the next regular payday instead.
Four states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi) have no final-pay statute at all, so the next regular payday is the practical rule. The rest land somewhere in between: Alaska gives three working days, while New York and Pennsylvania just use the next payday. The calculator shows the exact rule for your state and separation type once you pick both.
Is unused PTO paid out when you leave?
Whether you get paid for unused vacation depends on your state and your employer policy. Earned-wages states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Nebraska, generally treat accrued vacation as wages you already earned, so it has to be paid out. Most other states are policy-dependent: if your written policy promises a payout, it is usually enforceable, but a use-it-or-lose-it policy can wipe out the balance.
The state where you actually work controls, not where the company is based. That matters for remote and multi-state teams, since a policy that forfeits PTO may be legal in one state and unenforceable next door. These rules get fiddly, so treat the tool's note as a starting point and confirm with your state labor department.
How final pay is taxed (and why the number is an estimate)
FICA applies to a final check like any other: 6.2% Social Security up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, plus 1.45% Medicare with no cap. Those two are exact. Federal income tax is the softer number. A final check is often run off-cycle, so employers commonly withhold at the 22% supplemental flat rate, which is what this tool assumes. State income tax varies so much that the tool uses a single labeled flat rate rather than exact brackets.
Withholding is not your final tax bill. It is a prepayment that settles when you file, so the real liability can land higher or lower. For exact, W-4-driven, all-50-state math, run the numbers in the Payroll Calculator app or the salary after tax by state tool. To model the wages themselves, the hourly paycheck calculator, salary to paycheck calculator, and prorated salary calculator each cover a piece, and the pay stub generator turns the result into a stub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about final paycheck calculator
When do I have to be paid my final paycheck after I quit or get fired?
It comes down to your work state and whether you quit or were let go. Some states require the check immediately or within a few days when an employer fires you (California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Montana are the strictest), while most states give until the next regular payday when you resign. A handful of states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi) set no specific deadline, so the next regular payday applies. Pick your state and separation type above to see the rule for your situation.
Do I get paid for unused vacation or PTO when I leave a job?
It varies by state and by your employer policy. States such as California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Nebraska generally treat accrued vacation as earned wages that must be paid out. Most other states make it policy-dependent: if your written policy promises a payout, it is usually enforceable, but if it allows use-it-or-lose-it, unused time can be forfeited. The state where you work controls, so check with your state labor department to confirm.
Is my final paycheck taxed differently?
FICA still applies the same way: 6.2% Social Security (up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500) and 1.45% Medicare with no cap. Federal income tax may be withheld at the 22% supplemental flat rate if the check is run off-cycle, which is why this tool uses 22% as a labeled estimate. Keep in mind that withholding is not your final tax bill. It is a prepayment that settles when you file. For exact, W-4-driven state math, see the salary after tax by state tool.
How is a final paycheck calculated for a salaried employee?
Prorate the final period by the days you actually worked. Divide the annual salary by the number of pay periods in the year (26 for biweekly, 24 for semimonthly, 12 for monthly), then multiply by days worked divided by the work days in a full period. For the PTO payout, salaried pay converts to an hourly rate at salary divided by 2,080 hours. The prorated salary calculator walks through the same math step by step.
What happens if my employer pays my final check late?
Many states impose waiting-time penalties. California, for example, can charge a full day of wages for every day the check is late, up to 30 days. Other states add interest or fixed fines. If your employer blows past the state deadline, contact your state labor department. Those penalties exist to make late payment expensive for the employer.
Does my employer have to pay out my accrued PTO if I was fired for cause?
In earned-wages states, accrued vacation is generally owed regardless of why you left, because it counts as wages you already earned. In policy-dependent states, the written policy controls, and some policies limit payout to voluntary resignations with proper notice. Being fired for cause rarely erases wages already earned, but PTO forfeiture clauses can apply where state law allows them.
Can my employer withhold my final paycheck until I return company property?
Generally no. Wages you have already earned must be paid on the state deadline, and most states bar holding a paycheck hostage over a laptop or uniform. A few states allow narrow holds: South Dakota, for instance, lets an employer withhold until company property is returned. Deductions for unreturned property are separately regulated and often require your written consent.
Is severance included in my final paycheck?
Severance is separate from your final wages and is not legally required unless a contract or policy promises it. If it is paid, it is taxed as supplemental wages, the same 22% federal flat rate this tool applies to off-cycle pay. Enter it in the severance field above to fold it into the estimate, or model it on its own with the bonus tax calculator.