Minnesota Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Minnesota take-home pay. Minnesota uses a 4-bracket progressive income tax ranging from 5.35% to 9.85% — the third-highest top rate in the country (behind California's 13.3% and Hawaii's 11%). The TY2026 brackets adjust by 2.369% from TY2025 (Minnesota DOR, Dec 16 2025 release). Minnesota's $15,300 single / $30,600 MFJ standard deduction is close to (but separate from) the federal SD. No local income tax in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or any other Minnesota city.
How to use this calculator
- Type your gross pay per paycheck — what you earn before any tax or deduction comes out.
- Pick your pay frequency (biweekly is the default — it's the most common).
- Set your federal filing status (Single or Married Filing Jointly).
- If you contribute to a traditional 401(k), enter the percentage. Add any pre-tax health or HSA deductions per paycheck.
- The result updates as you go. Use Share link to send your numbers to someone else without retyping them.
A real example: a $60,000 salary in Minneapolis
Say you take a $60,000-a-year job in Minneapolis, paid every two weeks, single, no 401(k). That's $2,307.69 gross per paycheck. The math goes like this for the year:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (after the $16,100 federal standard deduction) | −$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) | −$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$870.00 |
| Minnesota state tax (4-bracket progressive after $15,300 std deduction) | −$2,556.60 |
| Take-home for the year | $47,833.39 |
| Take-home per biweekly check | $1,839.75 |
About 20% of your gross goes to federal, FICA, and MN state tax combined. Minnesota's effective rate at $60k single is about 4.26% — well below the 6.8% second-bracket rate because the standard deduction shields the first $15,300 from any state tax. The brackets are wide enough that most middle-class earners stay in the 5.35% or 6.8% bracket. The 9.85% top rate only hits above $203,150 single / $337,930 MFJ — well into the top 5% of household incomes nationally.
Now add a 5% traditional 401(k) and $200/month in pre-tax health premiums on a $120,000 salary, married, paid monthly: gross $10,000/mo, $500 to the 401(k), $200 to health. Minnesota follows federal — both pre-tax items reduce MN taxable income. MFJ brackets are wider than single (the 6.8% bracket runs $48,700-$193,480 vs $33,310-$109,430 single), providing real marriage relief. State tax for the year runs about $4,498, and your monthly take-home lands around $7,486.
How a Minnesota paycheck is calculated
Minnesota uses 4 progressive brackets, with MFJ brackets meaningfully wider than single (real marriage relief). Brackets are inflation-indexed annually:
A few Minnesota-specific details worth knowing:
- 9.85% top rate is the 3rd-highest in the US. Only California (13.3% with the millionaire surcharge) and Hawaii (11%) tax higher. But Minnesota's top rate kicks in at $203,150 single — well above where Virginia (5.75% at $17k) or New Jersey (10.75% at $1M) put their tops. Effective rates for most Minnesotans stay between 5% and 7%.
- MFJ brackets are wider — real marriage relief. The 6.8% bracket runs $48,700-$193,480 for MFJ vs $33,310-$109,430 single — a meaningful expansion that helps two-earner couples. Minnesota is one of the more 'marriage-friendly' progressive states in this regard.
- Brackets are inflation-indexed every year. MN DOR adjusts brackets annually based on the Chained CPI (2.369% increase for TY2026 per the December 2025 release). Standard deduction also indexed. This prevents 'bracket creep' from inflation alone.
- SD phases out above $244,400 federal AGI. Above $244,400 single ($122,200 MFS), the Minnesota standard deduction begins to phase out (3% of excess AGI, then 10% above $337,800). This calculator does NOT model the phaseout — at very high incomes, your actual MN tax may be slightly higher than this calculator shows. The phaseout is capped at 80% of the otherwise-allowable SD.
- Social Security partially taxed. Unlike most states that fully exempt Social Security, Minnesota taxes it partially — fully exempt under $82,190 single / $105,380 MFJ federal AGI, then phases in. This makes MN one of only 9 states that taxes SS at all (down from 13 a few years ago).
- No local income tax anywhere in Minnesota. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington — none charge income tax. Minnesota's 9.85% top state rate is the total income tax (no city or county add-ons like Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York).
- 1% net investment income surtax over $1M. Not modeled here (this is a wage calculator). Minnesota also taxes long-term capital gains at ordinary rates — no preferential rate like the federal tax has.
What Minnesota paychecks look like at common salaries (single, no 401k)
| Annual salary | Federal tax | FICA | Minnesota tax | Net per year | Net per biweekly check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $1,321.45 | $32,998.55 | $1,269.18 |
| $50,000 | $3,820.00 | $3,825.00 | $1,876.61 | $40,478.40 | $1,556.86 |
| $60,000 | $5,020.00 | $4,590.00 | $2,556.60 | $47,833.39 | $1,839.75 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $3,576.61 | $58,015.89 | $2,231.38 |
| $100,000 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $5,276.61 | $73,903.39 | $2,842.44 |
| $150,000 | $24,734.00 | $11,475.00 | $8,941.94 | $104,849.06 | $4,032.66 |
Numbers above use 2026 federal rates and Minnesota's 4-bracket 5.35-9.85% progressive brackets (MN DOR Dec 16 2025 release), single filer, no 401(k) or pre-tax deductions, full SD applied (phaseout NOT modeled). Your actual withholding will differ based on your MN W-4.
Tips to take home more
- Max out pre-tax benefits first. Health insurance, HSA, and FSA dollars reduce both your federal tax and FICA — that's a roughly 22–28% discount on those expenses for most people.
- A 401(k) is real money, not a deduction. A 5% contribution on $60k is $3,000 the IRS doesn't see right now. You're not losing it — you're moving it.
- Check your W-4 if your refund or bill is large. A big refund means you overpaid all year; a big bill means you underpaid. Either way, the IRS withholding estimator at irs.gov/W4App helps fix it.
- Track the Social Security cap. If you'll cross $184,500 this year, your last few checks will be noticeably bigger for SS. (Medicare and SDI keep going on every dollar.)
- Live in MN, work remotely for an out-of-state employer? Minnesota taxes residents on all income regardless of where it's earned. Minnesota and Wisconsin have border-commuter reciprocity (no double-tax for cross-border workers). Otherwise, check your paystub — out-of-state employers don't always withhold MN tax correctly.
Frequently asked questions
What is Minnesota's state income tax rate in 2026?
Minnesota uses a 4-bracket progressive income tax for TY2026 with rates of 5.35%, 6.8%, 7.85%, and 9.85% — the 3rd-highest top rate in the nation. For single filers: 5.35% to $33,310, 6.8% to $109,430, 7.85% to $203,150, 9.85% above. MFJ brackets are wider. Inflation-indexed annually per MN DOR (Dec 16, 2025 release for TY2026).
How much of a $60,000 salary do you take home in Minnesota?
A single filer earning $60,000 in Minnesota with no pre-tax deductions takes home roughly $47,833 a year, or about $1,840 every two weeks. That's $5,020 federal, $4,590 FICA, and $2,556.60 MN state tax (5.35% on first $33,310 then 6.8% on the rest, applied to $44,700 after the $15,300 standard deduction).
What is the Minnesota standard deduction for 2026?
$15,300 for single filers and married filing separately; $30,600 for married filing jointly; $23,000 for head of household. Inflation-indexed annually. Important caveat: above $244,400 federal AGI (single) or $122,200 (MFS), the standard deduction begins to phase out — 3% of excess AGI reduces it, capped at 80% reduction. This calculator does NOT model the phaseout.
Does Minnesota tax Social Security?
Partially. Minnesota fully exempts Social Security for filers with federal AGI under $82,190 single / $105,380 MFJ (2026 thresholds). Above these thresholds, Social Security becomes partially taxable on a sliding scale. This makes Minnesota one of only 9 states that taxes Social Security at all (down from 13 a few years ago). The full exemption thresholds were significantly expanded in 2023 legislation.
Does Minneapolis or St. Paul have a local income tax?
No. Minnesota does NOT allow cities or counties to levy income taxes on wages. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, and every other Minnesota city collect zero income tax. The 9.85% top state rate is your total income tax — unlike Ohio (600+ local taxes), Pennsylvania (3,000+), or New York City.