Washington has no state income tax
Washington is one of nine states that do not tax wages. Your employer withholds only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, plus the state payroll contributions listed below, so a Washington paycheck is usually several percent larger than the same salary in a state with an income tax.
- Washington has no tax on wages. Its only income tax is on long-term capital gains: 7% above an annual deduction of $278,000 and 9% on gains over $1 million.
- Workers do pay two state payroll premiums: 0.58% for the WA Cares long-term care fund, which began paying benefits in July 2026, and about 0.81% for Paid Family and Medical Leave.
The other states without a tax on wages are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. If you live in Washington but work in a state that taxes income, that state usually taxes your wages there.
Washington payroll deductions
Besides income tax, Washington requires these contributions from employees in 2026. The calculator includes them automatically.
| Program | Employee rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| WA Cares Fund (long-term care) | 0.58% | All wages |
| Paid Family and Medical Leave (employee share) | 0.807% | First $184,500 of wages |
- WA Cares: 0.58% of all wages, with no cap, unless you have an approved exemption.
- WA PFML: The 2026 premium is 1.13% of wages up to the Social Security wage base; employees pay 71.43% of it, about 0.81%.
Local income taxes in Washington
Washington cities and counties do not tax wages.
Example: $60,000 salary in Washington
A single filer earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with a standard 2026 W-4 and no 401(k) or health deductions:
| Every two weeks | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | -$193.08 | -$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$143.08 | -$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$33.46 | -$870.00 |
| WA Cares | -$13.38 | -$348.00 |
| WA PFML | -$18.63 | -$484.32 |
| Take-home pay | $1,906.06 | $49,557.68 |
With no Washington income tax, the only state deduction is $832.32 a year of payroll contributions. All taxes together take 17.4% of pay. Federal withholding is the 2026 single schedule: $60,000 less the $8,600 allowance gives $51,400, taxed at $1,240 plus 12% above $19,900, or $5,020 a year.
Take-home pay in Washington at different salaries
Yearly take-home pay for a single filer in Washington, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions or local tax. For a married couple filing jointly on $120,000, take-home pay is about $99,115 a year (17.4% in taxes).
| Salary | Washington tax | Take-home per year | Per paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $416 | $25,869 | $994.96 |
| $45,000 | $624 | $37,713 | $1,450.51 |
| $60,000 | $832 | $49,558 | $1,906.06 |
| $80,000 | $1,110 | $64,000 | $2,461.55 |
| $100,000 | $1,387 | $77,793 | $2,992.03 |
| $150,000 | $2,081 | $111,710 | $4,296.55 |
| $250,000 | $2,939 | $180,243 | $6,932.41 |
The Washington tax column includes state payroll contributions as well as income tax.
How the Washington paycheck estimate works
Federal income tax follows IRS Publication 15-T for 2026: your paycheck is annualized, an allowance for the standard deduction is taken off, the 2026 withholding schedule for your filing status is applied, and W-4 credits and extra withholding are added back per paycheck. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 and Medicare 1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000.
No Washington income tax is calculated. WA Cares and WA PFML are worked out on wages after pre-tax health premiums.
Take-home = Gross − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − Social Security − Medicare − WA Cares − WA PFML