What is deducted from a Connecticut paycheck?

A Connecticut paycheck has federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), Connecticut state income tax under the 2024 graduated brackets, and the Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave contribution of 0.5% of wages. Connecticut has no separate employee SDI tax beyond PFML.

What is the Connecticut PFML deduction?

Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave is funded by an employee payroll contribution of 0.5% of wages, capped at the Social Security wage base. It is withheld from every paycheck and remitted by the employer to the CT Paid Leave Authority. This calculator includes it as a line item.

Does Connecticut have local income taxes?

No. Connecticut does not impose any city or county income tax. Only the state income tax applies on top of federal tax, FICA, and the PFML contribution, which keeps payroll withholding simpler than in states with local occupational taxes.

How accurate is this Connecticut paycheck estimate?

It uses 2025 federal brackets, the standard deduction, 2024 Connecticut graduated rates, FICA caps, and the 0.5% PFML rate, so it is close for typical W-2 earners. It does not model health-insurance premiums, HSA contributions, garnishments, or supplemental withholding, so your actual stub may differ.

Are 401(k) contributions tax-free in Connecticut?

Traditional 401(k) contributions are exempt from both federal and Connecticut income tax in the year you contribute, which is why this tool subtracts them before applying income tax. They are still subject to Social Security and Medicare, so FICA is computed on your full gross wage.

Connecticut Paycheck Calculator

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This calculator estimates the take-home pay of a Connecticut worker by layering federal income tax, FICA, Connecticut state income tax, and the Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave contribution on top of your gross wages. Enter your pay and frequency and it returns net pay both per paycheck and per year.

How it works

The tool annualizes your gross pay, subtracts any pre-tax 401(k), then applies deductions in order:

federal tax  = brackets(gross − 401k − federal standard deduction)
CT state tax = brackets(gross − 401k − CT phasing exemption)
Social Sec.  = 6.2% × min(gross, wage base)
Medicare     = 1.45% × gross
CT PFML      = 0.5% × min(gross, wage base)
net          = gross − 401k − federal − state − SS − Medicare − PFML

Connecticut taxes income through seven graduated brackets from 2% to 6.99%, and its personal exemption phases out as income rises. There is no Connecticut local income tax, so the only state-level lines are the income tax and the 0.5% PFML contribution.

Example

A single filer earning $65,000 with no 401(k) contribution pays federal tax on income above the $15,000 standard deduction, Connecticut tax on the full amount (the personal exemption has fully phased out by $45,000 of AGI), 6.2% Social Security, 1.45% Medicare, and 0.5% PFML ($325). The net take-home lands near $49,000 per year, an effective combined rate around 25%.

Notes

This is an estimate. It does not model employer health-insurance premiums, HSA/FSA contributions, additional Medicare on high wages, wage garnishments, or the supplemental flat rate used for bonuses. Confirm your exact withholding against your CT-W4 elections and pay stub, and see portal.ct.gov/DRS and ctpaidleave.org for current figures.