Virginia Paycheck Calculator (Hourly)

How the Virginia Paycheck Calculator Works

This Virginia paycheck calculator hourly tool computes your take-home pay by subtracting federal income tax, Virginia state income tax, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) from your gross earnings. Virginia uses a four-bracket progressive system that tops out at 5.75% on income above $17,000, meaning most full-time workers pay the top rate on the bulk of their earnings.

The core formula:

Take-Home = Gross Pay - Federal Tax - State Tax - Social Security - Medicare $$P_{\text{net}}=P_{\text{gross}}-T_{\text{fed}}-T_{\text{VA}}-T_{\text{SS}}-T_{\text{Med}}$$

Annual gross is hourly wage multiplied by hours per week multiplied by 52 weeks. To convert between hourly and annual figures, see our salary calculator. Per-period pay divides the annual figure by 52, 26, 24, or 12 depending on your pay frequency.

Federal income tax follows progressive brackets from 10% on the first $11,925 of taxable income (single) up to 37% on income above $626,350. The standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers, $30,000 for married filing jointly, and $22,500 for head of household. Virginia state income tax applies separately: 2% on the first $3,000, 3% from $3,000 to $5,000, 5% from $5,000 to $17,000, and 5.75% above $17,000. Virginia uses its own standard deduction of $8,000 single and $16,000 married. Social Security tax is 6.2% on wages up to $176,100, and Medicare is 1.45% on all wages plus a 0.9% surtax above $200,000 single or $250,000 married.

Virginia Hourly Paycheck Tax Breakdown

Virginia's income tax structure effectively functions as a near-flat tax for most workers because the top bracket begins at only $17,000 of taxable income. A single filer earning $35,000 gross has Virginia taxable income of $27,000 after the $8,000 standard deduction. The first $3,000 is taxed at 2% ($60), the next $2,000 at 3% ($60), the next $12,000 at 5% ($600), and the remaining $10,000 at 5.75% ($575), totaling $1,295. The effective state rate is about 4.8% of taxable income.

Northern Virginia, particularly Fairfax County, Arlington, and Loudoun County, is home to one of the highest concentrations of federal government employees and defense contractors in the country. Amazon's HQ2 in Arlington, the Pentagon, and dozens of cybersecurity and defense firms along the Dulles Corridor mean that many Virginia workers earn salaries well above the national median. A cybersecurity analyst in Arlington earning $55/hour faces the same 5.75% top state rate as a warehouse worker in Danville earning $18/hour — the flat-like structure creates simplicity but limited progressivity.

Compared to its neighbors, Virginia is moderate. Maryland's top state rate is identical at 5.75%, but Maryland counties add 2.25% to 3.2% in mandatory local income taxes, pushing the effective state-plus-local rate to 8-9%. Washington DC uses a steeply progressive system reaching 10.75% on income above $1 million. North Carolina charges a flat 4.5%, lower than Virginia for all workers. Tennessee imposes no state income tax on wages. For a Northern Virginia federal employee earning $90,000, Virginia state tax is approximately $4,500, while the same worker commuting across the Potomac to Maryland would pay roughly $6,800 in combined state and county taxes.

Your Virginia paycheck deductions come from four sources:

• Federal income tax: Progressive brackets based on filing status and taxable income. See our income tax calculator for full-year estimates.
• Virginia state income tax: Progressive brackets of 2%, 3%, 5%, and 5.75% with the top bracket starting at $17,000.
• Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to $176,100 annually.
• Medicare: 1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% surtax above $200,000 single or $250,000 married.

Variable Definitions

Hourly Wage: Your gross pay per hour before deductions. Virginia's minimum wage is $15.00/hour. A Navy civilian employee at Naval Station Norfolk earning $28/hour grosses $58,240 annually, while a software engineer at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington earning $65/hour grosses $135,200. Defense contractors along the Dulles Corridor commonly pay $45-75/hour for cleared technical positions.

Hours per Week: Total regular hours. Full-time is 40. Seasonal workers at Virginia Beach tourism businesses may work 50+ hours during summer, while government workers typically hold steady at 40. Enter your typical weekly figure; overtime above 40 is paid at 1.5x under federal law.

Pay Frequency: Weekly (52 periods), biweekly (26), semi-monthly (24), or monthly (12). Federal government employees are paid biweekly. Most private sector Virginia employers including Dominion Energy, Capital One in McLean, and Northrop Grumman in Falls Church also pay biweekly. Some defense contractors pay semi-monthly.

Filing Status: Determines your federal and Virginia standard deductions and bracket thresholds. A single filer at Fort Liberty earning $45,000 has a federal standard deduction of $15,000 and Virginia deduction of $8,000. Married filing jointly doubles both. Head of household uses $22,500 federally and $8,000 in Virginia.

Pre-Tax Deduction: Percentage of gross pay contributed to TSP (federal employees), 401(k), 403(b), or HSA. A GS-13 federal employee in Arlington earning $120,000 who contributes 10% ($12,000) to TSP reduces both federal and Virginia taxable income, saving roughly $2,640 federally (at 22%) and $690 in Virginia (at 5.75%), for a combined tax savings of about $3,330 per year.

Worked Example 1: Virginia Hourly Paycheck at $18/Hour

A single filer earning $18/hour, working 40 hours/week, biweekly pay, with a 5% pre-tax 401(k) contribution:

1. Annual gross: $18 x 40 x 52 = $37,440
2. Pre-tax deduction: $37,440 x 5% = $1,872
3. Taxable gross: $37,440 - $1,872 = $35,568
4. Federal taxable income: $35,568 - $15,000 = $20,568
5. Federal tax: ($11,925 x 10%) + ($8,643 x 12%) = $1,192.50 + $1,037.16 = $2,229.66
6. Virginia taxable income: $35,568 - $8,000 = $27,568
7. Virginia state tax: ($3,000 x 2%) + ($2,000 x 3%) + ($12,000 x 5%) + ($10,568 x 5.75%) = $60 + $60 + $600 + $607.66 = $1,327.66
8. Social Security: $35,568 x 6.2% = $2,205.22
9. Medicare: $35,568 x 1.45% = $515.74
10. Total deductions: $1,872 + $2,229.66 + $1,327.66 + $2,205.22 + $515.74 = $8,150.28
11. Annual take-home: $37,440 - $8,150.28 = $29,289.72
12. Biweekly take-home: $29,289.72 / 26 = $1,126.53

Worked Example 2: Virginia Hourly Paycheck at $50/Hour

A married filing jointly filer earning $50/hour, working 40 hours/week, biweekly pay, with a 10% pre-tax TSP contribution:

1. Annual gross: $50 x 40 x 52 = $104,000
2. Pre-tax deduction: $104,000 x 10% = $10,400
3. Taxable gross: $104,000 - $10,400 = $93,600
4. Federal taxable income: $93,600 - $30,000 = $63,600
5. Federal tax: ($23,850 x 10%) + ($39,750 x 12%) = $2,385 + $4,770 = $7,155
6. Virginia taxable income: $93,600 - $16,000 = $77,600
7. Virginia state tax: ($3,000 x 2%) + ($2,000 x 3%) + ($12,000 x 5%) + ($60,600 x 5.75%) = $60 + $60 + $600 + $3,484.50 = $4,204.50
8. Social Security: $93,600 x 6.2% = $5,803.20
9. Medicare: $93,600 x 1.45% = $1,357.20
10. Total deductions: $10,400 + $7,155 + $4,204.50 + $5,803.20 + $1,357.20 = $28,919.90
11. Annual take-home: $104,000 - $28,919.90 = $75,080.10
12. Biweekly take-home: $75,080.10 / 26 = $2,887.70

Edge Cases and Advanced Scenarios

Social Security wage base cap ($176,100 in 2026): Northern Virginia tech and defense workers frequently exceed this threshold. A principal engineer at Amazon HQ2 earning $200,000 pays SS tax capped at $176,100 x 6.2% = $10,918.20 rather than 6.2% of the full salary. The cap resets January 1 each year.

Additional Medicare tax for high earners: Wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married) incur an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax. A senior federal executive or defense contractor VP earning $250,000 filing single owes an additional ($250,000 - $200,000) x 0.9% = $450 in Medicare tax beyond the standard 1.45%.

Federal employees and TSP contributions: Virginia's large federal workforce contributes to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which is treated identically to a 401(k) for state and federal tax purposes. Maximum TSP contribution for 2026 is $23,500 ($31,000 if age 50+). A GS-14 employee in Fairfax County maximizing TSP at $23,500 reduces Virginia taxable income by that amount, saving $1,351 in state tax at the 5.75% marginal rate.

Military stationed in Virginia: Active-duty service members who maintain legal residence (domicile) in another state are not subject to Virginia income tax, even if stationed at Fort Liberty, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Naval Station Norfolk, or Quantico. Under SCRA, their military pay is taxed only by their state of legal residence.

What to Do with Your Virginia Paycheck Result

• Compare your calculated take-home to your actual pay stub. Differences typically arise from health insurance premiums, life insurance, or union dues not included in this calculator.
• Maximize TSP or 401(k) contributions to reduce both federal and Virginia state tax. Every dollar contributed saves 5.75% in Virginia tax plus your federal marginal rate.
• If you live in Virginia but work in DC or Maryland, check reciprocity agreements. Virginia has reciprocity with DC, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, meaning you pay tax only to your state of residence.
• Use our federal income tax percentage calculator to see your effective federal rate alongside your Virginia state rate for a complete tax picture.

Related Calculators

• Maryland Paycheck Calculator (Hourly) — compare Virginia's 5.75% top rate to Maryland's 5.75% plus county taxes.
• Washington DC Paycheck Calculator (Hourly) — DC's progressive system tops at 10.75% for high earners.
• North Carolina Paycheck Calculator (Hourly) — NC's flat 4.5% is lower than Virginia for most workers.
• Salary Calculator — convert between hourly and annual pay.
• Income Tax Calculator — estimate your total federal income tax liability.
• Federal Income Tax Percentage Calculator — find your effective federal tax rate.
• Paycheck Calculator by State — compare take-home pay across all 50 states and DC.