Boise, ID Paycheck Calculator 2026

How paychecks work in Idaho

Boise, Idaho residents follow the same statewide payroll rules as everyone else in Idaho, with the additional local considerations noted below. Every paycheck issued in Idaho has three federal withholdings — federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare — followed by Idaho's own withholding rules and any local wage tax that applies where you work. Idaho has a flat 5.30% state income tax. Idaho's economy centers on agriculture (potatoes, dairy), semiconductor manufacturing in Boise, and outdoor recreation tourism.

This page explains, step by step, how gross wages become take-home pay in Idaho: what the federal government takes, what the state of Idaho takes, which cities and localities add their own withholding, and how minimum wage, overtime, and pay-frequency rules interact with common benefits like 401(k) contributions and pre-tax health premiums.

Federal taxes on Idaho paychecks

Regardless of where you live, the IRS applies the same federal income tax brackets, standard deduction, and FICA contributions. For 2026, the federal tax brackets range from 10% on the first ~$12,400 of taxable income (single) up to 37% on income above roughly $626,000. Most workers land in the 12%, 22%, or 24% brackets after subtracting the $16,100 single (or $32,200 married-jointly) standard deduction.

On top of federal income tax, every Idaho employee pays FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to a $184,500 wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages over $200,000 (single). Employers match Social Security and Medicare dollar-for-dollar; you only see your half on the stub.

Idaho state income tax

Idaho taxes wage income at a flat 5.30%. The state standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married filing jointly.

Because Idaho uses a flat rate, every dollar of taxable wage income is taxed at the same rate. This makes Idaho state withholding simpler to estimate than in states with graduated brackets.

Local wage taxes in Idaho

No local income taxes.

FICA: Social Security and Medicare

Social Security is the biggest single deduction most middle-income Idaho workers see besides federal income tax. It funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, and applies at 6.2% until you have earned $184,500 for the year (2026). If you earn more than that, Social Security stops for the remainder of the year — a highly visible bump in take-home pay for high earners late in the calendar year.

Medicare has no cap. All wages are hit at 1.45%, and an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to any wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). Employers begin withholding the additional 0.9% the pay period you cross $200,000, whether or not you'll actually owe it after year-end.

Overtime rules for Idaho employees

Follows federal FLSA: 1.5x for hours over 40/week.

Overtime pay itself is taxed exactly the same way as regular wages — there is no special overtime tax rate. But because a paycheck with lots of overtime looks temporarily much larger, employer withholding formulas may withhold a higher percentage than your true annual rate. That withholding is reconciled at tax time via your federal 1040 and Idaho state return, so if you consistently work overtime you may want to review your W-4 to avoid over-withholding.

Minimum wage in Idaho

The current minimum wage in Idaho is $7.25 per hour. Idaho follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr. At 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, that equates to roughly $15,080 in gross annual wages before overtime.

Pay frequency rules

At least monthly; pay periods cannot exceed 15 days. Most private-sector employees in Idaho are paid either weekly or bi-weekly, with salaried professionals often on a semi-monthly schedule. Choosing the right pay-frequency assumption is important when using the calculator above, because the same annual salary produces different per-paycheck amounts depending on whether it's split over 26 (bi-weekly) or 24 (semi-monthly) periods.

Example take-home pay in Idaho

The table below shows estimated federal, FICA, and Idaho state tax for a single filer at several common salary levels, using 2026 rules and the standard deduction. Bi-weekly amounts assume 26 paychecks per year.

Common Idaho payroll deductions to watch

• 401(k) contributions — pre-tax dollars reduce federal (and, in Idaho, state) income tax. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500 ($32,000 if age 50+).
• Pre-tax health premiums — Section 125 cafeteria plan contributions reduce federal, state, and FICA-taxable wages.
• HSA contributions — for high-deductible health plans, HSA money is pre-tax at both federal and state levels in Idaho.
• Garnishments, child support, and Roth 401(k) — these post-tax deductions do not reduce taxable wages but still cut take-home pay.
• Idaho moved to a 5.3% flat tax in 2026, down from 5.8% in 2024.
• Micron's expansion in Boise is projected to add thousands of high-wage semiconductor jobs.

Key industries and pay levels in Idaho

Idaho's top industries include Agriculture, Semiconductors, Tourism, Timber, and Food Processing. Major employers like Micron Technology, St. Luke's Health System, Idaho National Laboratory, and Simplot anchor a large share of state payrolls, and pay levels tend to track industry mix — states heavy on technology, finance, and aerospace typically show higher median household income than states dominated by agriculture, tourism, or retail.