Social Security
Employees pay 6.2% of covered wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Once wages from an employer reach that cap in the calendar year, that employer stops withholding Social Security on later wages.
Medicare and the extra rate
Employees pay 1.45% Medicare tax on all covered wages. An employer also withholds an extra 0.9% on wages it pays above $200,000 in the year. Final additional Medicare liability can differ by filing status and combined wages.
Why the lines matter
The employer also pays a matching share of the ordinary Social Security and Medicare rates. That employer share is not subtracted from your paycheck. PaystubLedger shows only the employee side.
Use the numbers: Open the paycheck calculator to apply these ideas to a salary or hourly rate. The result is an annualized estimate; your employer’s actual withholding can differ.