West Virginia Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How the West Virginia Paycheck Calculator: Take-Home Pay Works

This West virginia paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay in West Virginia using the 2026 federal brackets, Social Security, Medicare and West Virginia's state income tax (graduated rates from 2.22% to 4.82%). West Virginia has five brackets from 2.22% to 4.82%, has fully exempted Social Security benefits, and charges a small municipal fee to workers in many cities. Enter your salary, pay frequency, filing status and any pre-tax deduction to see net pay per paycheck and per year.

How West Virginia taxes wages

West Virginia taxes income at 2.22% on the first $10,000 of taxable income, 2.96% up to $25,000, 3.33% up to $40,000, 4.44% up to $60,000 and 4.82% above that, and the brackets are the same for single and joint filers. Each taxpayer has a $2,000 personal exemption, and West Virginia has no standard deduction. State income tax rates have been cut in recent years, and the legislature has debated further reductions.

A worker earning $65,000 with a traditional 401(k) pays roughly $2,400 in West Virginia tax, or about 3.7% of gross pay. West Virginia conforms to federal treatment of pre-tax retirement contributions, so those deferrals lower state wages.

How this calculator estimates your West Virginia 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 West Virginia it then applies graduated rates from 2.22% to 4.82% income tax after no separate state standard deduction and a personal exemption of $2,000 for single filers and $4,000 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.

How much West Virginia workers earn

West Virginia had about 701,610 jobs in May 2025. The median annual wage across all of them was $45,300 ($21.78 an hour), 11% below the national median of $50,980. The average wage was higher, at $56,470, 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 West Virginia taxes in this calculator, a single worker on that $45,300 median takes home about $37,267 a year, or $3,106 a month and $1,433.33 every two weeks.

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

Take-home pay for West Virginia's most common jobs

These are the occupations with the most workers in West Virginia. Each row shows the median salary and what a single filer keeps after 2026 taxes in West Virginia.

Large occupations tend to pay below the median: 12 of these 15 pay less than the $45,300 median for all workers, which is why the overall median is lower than many people expect.

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

A single West Virginia 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. West Virginia state income tax is about $2,073, an effective state rate of 3.19% of gross pay.

Net pay is about $50,047 a year, or $1,924.87 per paycheck, which is 77.0% 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 West Virginia 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. West Virginia income tax comes to roughly $3,953. Estimated take-home pay is about $82,984 a year, or $3,191.71 per biweekly paycheck.

Higher-paying jobs with many openings in West Virginia

Among occupations with at least 1,100 workers in West Virginia, 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.

Occupations concentrated in West Virginia

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 West Virginia and say a lot about which industries hire there.

West Virginia pay vs. the U.S. for popular jobs

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

What hourly jobs pay in West Virginia

The lowest-paid 10% of workers in West Virginia earn under $12.53 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 West Virginia minimum wage on the U.S. Department of Labor state minimum wage page, since several states raise it each year.

Pay by career field in West Virginia

BLS groups every job into broad career fields. Here is how many people work in each across West Virginia, the field's median salary and what that salary takes home in West Virginia. Management pays the most at a median of $93,590; food preparation and serving related pays the least at $27,680.

How pay grows with experience in West Virginia

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 West Virginia jobs show how much room there is to grow, with take-home pay at each level.

West Virginia 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, West Virginia income tax about $1,099, leaving roughly $33,221 a year ($1,277.73 per biweekly paycheck).
• $65,000: federal income tax about $5,620, FICA $4,973, West Virginia income tax about $2,198, leaving roughly $52,209 a year ($2,008.05 per biweekly paycheck).
• $100,000: federal income tax about $13,170, FICA $7,650, West Virginia income tax about $3,885, leaving roughly $75,295 a year ($2,895.96 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 West Virginia paycheck

Of about $12,791 in total annual taxes for a single filer earning $65,000 with no pre-tax deductions, federal income tax is about 44%, Social Security and Medicare together are about 39%, West Virginia income tax is about 17%. 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.

West Virginia local taxes and payroll deductions

Many West Virginia cities charge a municipal service fee of about $2 to $3 per week to people who work in the city, which is deducted from paychecks and is not modeled in the calculator. The fee is small but can add over $100 a year. West Virginia has no state disability or paid family leave payroll deduction and no local income tax on wages.

Use Form WV/IT-104 to claim exemptions for state withholding. West Virginia has reciprocity with Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, so residents of those states who work in West Virginia can file an exemption certificate.

Retirement income, credits and special West Virginia rules

West Virginia has fully exempted Social Security benefits from state income tax for the 2026 tax year, completing a phase-out. The state also offers an exclusion of up to $8,000 of pension and annuity income for those 65 and older or disabled, with larger exclusions for military and public retirement plans. The state offers a low-income earned income credit, a homestead exemption and a property tax credit for seniors.

Bonuses and supplemental wages are taxed as wages, with flat-rate withholding. West Virginia phased out its estate tax years ago.

Living and working in West Virginia: how the tax burden compares

West Virginia's state sales tax is 6%, and many cities add a 1% local sales tax, and groceries are exempt. Property taxes are low. Charleston, Morgantown and Huntington have health care, energy, education and government employment, and housing is among the cheapest in the country, though many parts of the state have limited job growth.

Compare West Virginia with Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania using the calculators.

West Virginia income tax at a glance

• State income tax: graduated, from 2.22% to 4.82%
• Personal exemption: $2,000 single, $4,000 joint
• State pre-tax retirement treatment: follows the federal exclusion
• Withholding form: Form WV/IT-104
• Agency: the West Virginia State Tax Department

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 West Virginia

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 West Virginia, the annual contribution of $2,600 cuts net pay by only about $2,163, or $83.18 per biweekly paycheck, so the true cost of each $100 contribution is roughly $83.18. The saving comes from both federal and West Virginia income tax, though not from Social Security or Medicare. Use the 401(k) calculator to see how those contributions grow.

West Virginia paycheck rules: pay frequency, minimum wage and final pay

West Virginia's minimum wage is $8.75 an hour, above the federal $7.25. State law requires employers to pay wages at least twice a month, with final wages due within 72 hours of discharge and by the next regular payday for resignations, and employers can face liquidated damages for late final pay. Overtime follows federal rules after 40 hours in a week. Workers can file wage claims with the West Virginia Division of Labor.

Common mistakes with West Virginia paychecks

• Forgetting the municipal service fee. A small weekly fee applies in many cities.
• Ignoring the recent rate cuts. Check the current tables.
• Budgeting from gross pay. Plan with net pay per paycheck, about $1,924.87 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 WV/IT-104 after a move, marriage or new job, using the W-4 withholding calculator.

Key takeaways

• West Virginia taxes wages with graduated rates from 2.22% to 4.82%.
• Pre-tax retirement deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA.
• A single worker earning $65,000 keeps about 77% of gross pay in the standard example.
• Compare states using total cost of living, not only income tax.
• Confirm current figures with the West Virginia State Tax Department and IRS.gov.

Rent and a budget on a typical West Virginia salary

On the $45,300 median, the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of gross pay on housing allows rent of about $1,133 a month. Using the 50/30/20 rule on the $3,106 monthly take-home pay, that is about $1,553 for needs such as rent, food and transport, $932 for wants and $621 for savings and debt payments.

If rents run above $1,133 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.