Vermont Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How the Vermont Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works

This Vermont paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in Vermont using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare and Vermont's state income tax (graduated rates from 3.35% to 8.75%). Vermont has four brackets from 3.35% to 8.75% and offers partial exclusions for Social Security and retirement income. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.

How Vermont taxes wages

Vermont taxes income at 3.35% on the first $49,400 of taxable income for single filers, 6.6% up to $119,700, 7.6% up to $249,700 and 8.75% above that, with joint filers reaching the 6.6% rate at $82,500. The state standard deduction is $7,650 for single filers and $15,300 for joint filers, and each taxpayer has a $5,300 personal exemption. Because the first bracket is wide, most middle-income workers pay 3.35% on most income, with 6.6% applying only to income above about $49,400 after deductions.

A worker earning $65,000 with a traditional 401(k) pays roughly $1,700 in Vermont tax, or about 2.6% of gross pay. Vermont conforms to federal treatment of pre-tax retirement contributions, so those deferrals lower state wages.

How this calculator estimates your Vermont paycheck

The calculator starts with your gross pay, subtracts the pre-tax deduction you enter, and applies the 2026 federal standard deduction of $16,100 for single filers or $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. Federal income tax comes from the seven 2026 brackets, Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500 and Medicare is 1.45% with a 0.9% surcharge above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (joint). For Vermont it then applies graduated rates from 3.35% to 8.75% income tax after a state standard deduction of $7,650 for single filers and $15,300 for joint filers and a personal exemption of $5,300 for single filers and $10,600 for joint filers. Pre-tax deferrals reduce state taxable income in the estimate, as they do on most state returns. Results are estimates; your employer's payroll system and your tax return are final. See the US paycheck guide for the full method.

What jobs pay in Vermont

About 303,890 people worked in Vermont in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $56,390 ($27.11 an hour), 11% above the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $69,050, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up; the median is the better guide to a typical paycheck.

After federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and the Vermont taxes in this calculator, a single worker on that $56,390 median takes home about $46,034 a year, or $3,836 a month and $1,770.54 every two weeks.

Wage figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Vermont. Take-home pay: this page's 2026 calculator, single filer, no pre-tax deductions, default settings.

The biggest jobs in Vermont and what they take home

The largest occupations in Vermont by number of workers are below. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in Vermont.

Most of the largest occupations sit near or below the middle of the pay range: 9 of these 15 pay less than the $56,390 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.

Worked example: $65,000 salary in Vermont, paid every two weeks

A single Vermont employee earning $65,000, paid every two weeks and contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k), has gross pay of $2,500.00 per paycheck. After the $2,600 deferral and the $16,100 federal standard deduction, taxable income is $46,300 and federal income tax is about $5,308. Social Security is $4,030 and Medicare is $943. Vermont state income tax is about $1,658, an effective state rate of 2.55% of gross pay.

Net pay is about $50,461 a year, or $1,940.82 per paycheck, which is 77.6% of gross pay. Change any input in the calculator above to test your own situation.

Married couple example: $110,000 combined pay

A married couple filing jointly in Vermont with $110,000 of combined wages and 6% ($6,600) going to traditional retirement plans has federal taxable income of $71,200 and pays about $8,048 in federal income tax and $8,415 in FICA. Vermont income tax comes to roughly $2,596. Estimated take-home pay is about $84,341 a year, or $3,243.88 per biweekly paycheck.

Well-paid occupations in Vermont

Among occupations with at least 500 workers in Vermont, these have the highest median pay. Federal tax takes a larger share at these salaries, so compare the take-home column rather than the salary when weighing offers.

Jobs that are unusually common in Vermont

A location quotient compares how common a job is locally with its share nationwide: 2.0 means twice as concentrated as the U.S. overall. These occupations stand out in Vermont and say a lot about which industries hire there.

Is pay higher in Vermont? Popular jobs compared

Median annual wages for well-known jobs in Vermont and the United States. Pay usually tracks living costs, so a higher wage does not always mean more money left over.

Starting wages in Vermont

The lowest-paid 10% of workers in Vermont earn under $17.26 an hour. Common hourly jobs pay the median rates below; a 40-hour week at that rate takes home the amount shown after 2026 taxes. Check the current Vermont minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage page, since several states raise it each year.

Which career fields pay most in Vermont

BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across Vermont, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in Vermont. Management pays the most at a median of $107,520; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $38,210.

Entry-level to top pay for Vermont jobs

The median hides a wide range. The lowest-paid 10% in a job are often new to it, while the top 10% are usually experienced, specialized or in management. The ranges below for common Vermont jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.

Vermont take-home pay at three salaries

These estimates assume a single filer, no pre-tax deductions and the 2026 federal standard deduction.

• $40,000: federal income tax about $2,620, FICA $3,060, Vermont income tax about $906, leaving roughly $33,414 a year ($1,285.15 per biweekly paycheck).
• $65,000: federal income tax about $5,620, FICA $4,973, Vermont income tax about $1,830, leaving roughly $52,578 a year ($2,022.22 per biweekly paycheck).
• $100,000: federal income tax about $13,170, FICA $7,650, Vermont income tax about $4,140, leaving roughly $75,040 a year ($2,886.16 per biweekly paycheck).

Use the calculator to add retirement deferrals, change your filing status or switch pay frequency. For comparisons, see the national paycheck calculator and the paycheck calculators by state hub.

Where the tax goes on a $65,000 Vermont paycheck

Of about $12,422 in total annual taxes for a single filer earning $65,000 with no pre-tax deductions, federal income tax is about 45%, Social Security and Medicare together are about 40%, Vermont income tax is about 15%. Federal taxes dominate almost everywhere, which is why federal planning tools such as the federal income tax calculator and a correctly completed W-4 matter as much as the state rate.

Vermont local taxes and payroll deductions

Vermont has no local income tax on wages and no mandatory state disability or paid family leave payroll deduction, though employers may offer a state-run voluntary family and medical leave insurance program. Employees use Form W-4VT to claim allowances for state withholding. Employers must update withholding tables each year for the indexed brackets.

Federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Vermont withholding are the main lines on a stub. Vermont has no reciprocity agreements, so commuters from New Hampshire, New York or Massachusetts who work in Vermont pay Vermont tax on Vermont-earned wages.

Retirement income, credits and special Vermont rules

Vermont exempts Social Security benefits for single filers with federal AGI up to $50,000 and joint filers up to $65,000, with a partial exemption above those levels, and it offers an exclusion of up to $10,000 of military retirement and a credit for retirement income for lower-income seniors. The state offers an earned income credit equal to a share of the federal credit, a child tax credit for young children and a renter's credit.

Bonuses and supplemental wages are taxed as wages, with flat-rate withholding. Vermont has an estate tax with a threshold above $5 million.

Living and working in Vermont: how the tax burden compares

Vermont's state sales tax is 6%, and some towns add a 1% local option, and clothing and most groceries are exempt. Property taxes are among the highest in the nation because the state funds education through a statewide property tax, but a credit based on income lowers the burden for many households. Burlington and Montpelier have education, health care, tourism and small manufacturing employment, and winters add heating costs.

Compare Vermont with Maine, Massachusetts, New York and zero-tax New Hampshire using the calculators.

Vermont income tax at a glance

• State income tax: graduated, from 3.35% to 8.75%
• State standard deduction: $7,650 single, $15,300 joint
• Personal exemption: $5,300 single, $10,600 joint
• State pre-tax retirement treatment: follows the federal exclusion
• Withholding form: Form W-4VT
• Agency: the Vermont Department of Taxes

These are the assumptions built into the calculator above. Rates, exemptions and payroll premiums change from year to year, so verify each item with the agency listed before making a large financial decision.

What a $100 pre-tax contribution really costs in Vermont

Contributing $100 per paycheck to a traditional 401(k) or HSA reduces your take-home pay by less than $100 because it lowers taxable income. In the $65,000 single-filer example for Vermont, the annual contribution of $2,600 cuts net pay by only about $2,116, or $81.40 per biweekly paycheck, so the true cost of each $100 contribution is roughly $81.40. The saving comes from both federal and Vermont income tax, though not from Social Security or Medicare. Use the 401(k) calculator to see how those contributions grow.

Vermont paycheck rules: pay frequency, minimum wage and final pay

Vermont's minimum wage is about $14.40 an hour in 2026 and is indexed to inflation each year, so confirm the current rate with the Vermont Department of Labor. State law requires employers to pay wages weekly or biweekly on regular paydays for most employees, with final wages due within 72 hours of discharge and by the next regular payday for resignations. Vermont requires paid sick leave of one hour per 52 hours worked up to 40 hours a year, and overtime follows federal rules after 40 hours in a week.

Common mistakes with Vermont paychecks

• Assuming the top rate applies. Most workers pay 3.35% on most income.
• Forgetting the property tax structure. Vermont's education tax is a major cost for homeowners.
• Budgeting from gross pay. Plan with net pay per paycheck, about $1,940.82 in the $65,000 example.
• Forgetting FICA. Social Security and Medicare add 7.65% for most employees. See what is FICA tax.
• Not updating withholding. Review your W-4 and Form W-4VT after a move, marriage or new job, using the W-4 withholding calculator.

Key takeaways

• Vermont taxes wages with graduated rates from 3.35% to 8.75%.
• Pre-tax retirement deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA.
• A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 78% of gross pay in the standard example.
• Compare states using total cost of living, not only income tax.
• Confirm current figures with the Vermont Department of Taxes and IRS.gov.

What a typical Vermont paycheck covers

On the $56,390 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,410 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $3,836 monthly take-home pay, that is about $1,918 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $1,151 for wants and $767 for savings and debt payments.

If rents run above $1,410 for the home you want, the usual fixes are a roommate, a longer commute or a second income in the household; the rent affordability calculator tests your own numbers.