2026 planning calculator

Estimate the real cost of hiring a W-2 employee in the US

Enter salary, state, benefits level, and risk profile to get a transparent employer cost range.

Annual salary $ Work state Role risk profile Benefits level Custom benefits percentage % SUTA model Custom SUTA rate % Payroll admin

Estimated annual cost

$0 - $0

Base salary$0

Burden above salary0%

Monthly equivalent$0

Confidence profile

Federal payroll taxes are high-confidence. SUTA and workers compensation are planning estimates unless you enter assigned rates.

General planning estimate only. Not payroll, tax, legal, insurance, or HR compliance advice.

State-specific planning

Launch with priority state pages, not all 50 on day one

Start where search demand and payroll complexity overlap: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Washington, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Each page gives a calculator, SUTA baseline, source links, and precision warnings.

CACaliforniaNew employer SUTA 3.40% on $7,000 TXTexasNew employer SUTA 2.70% on $9,000 FLFloridaNew employer SUTA 2.70% on $7,000 NYNew YorkNew employer SUTA 3.40% on $12,900 ILIllinoisNew employer SUTA 3.35% on $14,250 WAWashingtonNew employer SUTA 1.15% on $78,200 NJNew JerseyNew employer SUTA 2.80% on $44,800 MAMassachusettsNew employer SUTA 2.42% on $15,000

First 30 days monetization

Turn calculator intent into payroll and PEO leads

Gusto Affiliate-ready SMB payroll CTA. Public affiliate page notes US business owners, CEOs, and HR audiences. Justworks PEO and payroll partner path for companies that want compliance and benefits bundled. Deel Useful for global teams comparing US payroll with international hiring options. Rippling Higher-intent CTA for HRIS, payroll, IT, and finance consolidation.

Strong disclaimer posture

Clear enough to be useful, careful enough to survive payroll reality

Federal tax components can be modeled directly from IRS rules. SUTA, workers compensation, benefits, and state programs vary by employer, industry, class code, carrier, and annual notices. The product should show ranges by default and invite custom inputs when users have real assigned rates.

total = salary + FICA + FUTA + SUTA + workers_comp + benefits + admin workers_comp = (salary / 100) * rate_per_100 suta = min(salary, wage_base) * employer_rate