Arkansas Paycheck Calculator 2026

The Arkansas Paycheck Calculator helps employees estimate their take-home pay after federal income tax, Arkansas individual income tax, Social Security, Medicare and other paycheck deductions.

Arkansas has a graduated individual income-tax system. For 2026, the state reduced its top individual income-tax rate from 3.9% to 3.7%, effective January 1, 2026.

How the Arkansas Paycheck Calculator Works

Enter your annual salary or hourly wage and select your pay frequency. You can also enter your filing status, Arkansas deduction, pre-tax deductions, post-tax deductions and overtime information.

The calculator estimates your annual federal income tax, Arkansas income tax and federal payroll taxes. The estimated annual deductions are then divided by your selected number of pay periods.

Arkansas Income Tax Rates for 2026

Arkansas uses graduated individual income-tax rates. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, the state’s primary rate schedule is:

• 0% on taxable income from $0 through $5,599
• 2% on taxable income from $5,600 through $11,199
• 3% on taxable income from $11,200 through $15,999
• 3.4% on taxable income from $16,000 through $26,399
• 3.7% on taxable income from $26,400 through $94,700

For taxpayers above $94,700, Arkansas uses a separate upper-income calculation and a bracket adjustment applies within a limited range above $94,700.

The 2026 changes were enacted during Arkansas’s 2026 extraordinary legislative session and apply retroactively to January 1, 2026.

Arkansas Standard Deduction

The Arkansas standard deduction is separate from the federal standard deduction.

For the standard Arkansas filing categories, the deduction is $2,470 for a single taxpayer, $2,470 for head of household, and $2,470 for married filing separately. Married filing jointly generally receives a $4,940 standard deduction.

This calculator uses those Arkansas deduction amounts when estimating state taxable income.

Arkansas Taxable Income

Arkansas state income tax is not simply calculated by taking your gross salary and multiplying it by 3.7%.

The state uses taxable income and graduated brackets. Therefore, a worker earning $40,000 does not pay 3.7% on every dollar of gross salary.

The lower tax brackets apply first, and the 3.7% rate applies to the applicable portion of taxable income in the highest bracket.

Federal Income Tax for Arkansas Employees

Arkansas employees are also subject to federal income tax. Federal tax is separate from Arkansas income tax.

For 2026, the federal standard deduction is $16,100 for single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, $24,150 for heads of household and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.

Federal income-tax rates for 2026 range from 10% to 37%. The federal system is progressive, meaning the higher rate only applies to the income within the corresponding bracket.

Social Security Tax in Arkansas

Social Security is a federal payroll tax and generally applies to qualifying wages earned by Arkansas employees.

For 2026, the employee Social Security rate is 6.2%. The Social Security wage base is $184,500.

Medicare Tax in Arkansas

The standard employee Medicare tax rate is 1.45%. Medicare does not have a wage base limit.

Employers must also withhold an additional 0.9% Medicare tax from wages paid to an employee above $200,000 during the calendar year.

Arkansas Paycheck Examples

Weekly vs. Biweekly Pay

Weekly employees generally receive 52 paychecks per year. Biweekly employees generally receive 26 paychecks. Semi-monthly employees generally receive 24 paychecks, while monthly employees generally receive 12.

Your pay frequency changes the size of each individual paycheck, but normally does not change your annual salary.

Hourly Pay and Overtime

Hourly employees can enter their hourly wage, regular weekly hours and overtime hours.

The calculator estimates annual earnings using 52 weeks. Actual overtime eligibility and compensation can depend on federal law, Arkansas law, employee classification and your employer’s policies.

Pre-Tax and Post-Tax Deductions

Employees may have deductions for health insurance, retirement plans, flexible spending accounts and other employee benefits.

The tax treatment of each deduction depends on the specific plan. The calculator therefore allows users to enter pre-tax and post-tax deductions separately.

Why Your Actual Arkansas Paycheck May Be Different

An online paycheck calculator is an estimate rather than an official payroll statement.

Your employer’s payroll system may account for your federal Form W-4, Arkansas withholding information, payroll period, benefits, deductions, tax credits and other compensation.

Your actual paycheck can therefore be different from the amount shown by this calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions