Free Payroll Tool

What does payroll actually cost?

Gross salary is only part of it. Calculate your true employer payroll cost — including FICA, federal unemployment, and state unemployment taxes — in real time.

Payroll Cost Calculator

Estimates based on 2026 federal and state tax rates

$
Gross Payroll
$750,000
annual wages
Employer Taxes
$63,980
FICA + FUTA + SUI
Total Cost
$813,980
$31,307/bi-weekly

Full Breakdown

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Gross Payroll $750,000
FICA (Employer 7.65%) $57,375
FUTA (Federal Unemployment) $420
SUI (State Unemployment) $2,380
Total Employer Cost $813,980
Gross Payroll —
FICA (Employer 7.65%) —
FUTA (Federal Unemployment) —
SUI (State Unemployment) —
Burden Rate —
Total Employer Cost / yr —

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2026 Tax Rates Used

Tax Rate
FICA (SS + Medicare) 7.65%
FUTA (net) 0.6%
CA SUI (new employer) 3.4%
NY SUI (avg new employer) 2.7%
TX SUI (avg new employer) 2.7%
FL SUI (reemployment) 2.7%

What this includes

  • FICA employer share — 6.2% SS + 1.45% Medicare
  • FUTA — 0.6% net on first $7,000/employee
  • State unemployment on applicable wage base
  • True employer burden rate above gross wages

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How we calculate employer payroll costs

FICA (Employer Share)

Every employer pays 7.65% of each employee's gross wages — 6.2% Social Security (capped at $176,100) plus 1.45% Medicare (no cap).

7.65% of gross

FUTA (Federal Unemployment)

The Federal Unemployment Tax Act rate is 6%, but most employers receive a 5.4% credit for paying state unemployment — resulting in 0.6% net on the first $7,000 per employee, or ~$42/year.

$42/employee/yr

SUI (State Unemployment)

State unemployment rates vary by employer experience. New employer rates: CA 3.4%, NY 2.7%, TX 2.7%, FL 2.7%. Applied to state-specific wage bases ($7,000–$12,500).

2.7%–3.4%

Employer Burden Rate

The burden rate is the additional cost employers pay beyond gross wages. For most small businesses, it runs 8%–12% depending on state and salary levels — meaning a $75K employee costs ~$82K total.

typically 8%–12%