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Massachusetts Bonus Paycheck Calculator

A bonus paid in Massachusetts is withheld at the flat 22% federal supplemental rate in 2026 (37% on amounts above $1 million), plus FICA of 7.65% and a 5% flat income tax, plus a 4% surtax on income over roughly $1.08 million, with 0.46% MA Paid Family & Medical Leave on top. Your final tax bill is settled when you file, not at withholding.

How are bonuses taxed in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, your employer withholds a flat 22% federal supplemental rate and 7.65% FICA, plus a 5% flat income tax, plus a 4% surtax on income over roughly $1.08 million and 0.46% MA Paid Family & Medical Leave, so roughly 30–35% of a bonus is typically withheld up front. Withholding isn't your final tax: at filing time a bonus is ordinary income, so any over-withholding comes back as a refund. Against the 5 states Massachusetts borders, the same a $10,000 bonus is worth $6,489 here: New Hampshire keeps $546 more ($7,035), Rhode Island keeps $171 more ($6,660), Connecticut leaves $4 less ($6,485), New York leaves $37 less ($6,452) and Vermont leaves $114 less ($6,375). New Hampshire and Rhode Island are the only borders worth crossing for the tax alone.

Calculate your exact bonus take-home pay

Your bonus take-home

$3,495

from $5,000 bonusFor a $5,000 bonus · Massachusetts · single

Take-home 70%Taxes 30%
Bonus amount$5,000
Federal tax−$1,100
State tax—
MA Paid Family & Medical Leave−$23
Social Security−$310
Medicare−$73
Net bonus$3,495

Estimate based on 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules updated Oct 2026 How we calculate

Your details

Taxation method

Most common: a flat 22% federal rate is withheld on the bonus.

More options Base salary

What a bonus is actually worth in Massachusetts

On top of a $75,000 salary in Massachusetts, here is what each extra dollar survives federal tax, Massachusetts income tax, FICA and MA Paid Family & Medical Leave in 2026:

BonusGrossMassachusetts taxYou keepShare kept
$5,000 bonus$5,000$250$3,24564.9%
$10,000 bonus$10,000$500$6,48964.9%
$25,000 bonus$25,000$1,250$16,22364.9%

Massachusetts takes about 5.0% of that money on top of the 22% federal marginal rate and 7.65% FICA, and MA Paid Family & Medical Leave takes another 0.46%.

How Massachusetts ranks on bonuses

Across all 50 states and DC, Massachusetts ranks 36th for what a $10,000 bonus leaves in 2026. That is $76 less than the median state ($6,565), and $472 more than California, where the same a $10,000 bonus leaves $6,017.

The best outcome anywhere is $7,035 in Alaska and the other states with no wage income tax, $546 more than Massachusetts keeps.

Massachusetts bonuses against the states next door

Crossing a state line changes what the same bonus is worth without changing what you are paid. Here is a $10,000 bonus in Massachusetts against the states it borders:

StateState income taxYou keepvs Massachusetts
Massachusetts$500$6,489—
Connecticut$550$6,485$4 less
New HampshireNone$7,035$546 more
New York$540$6,452$37 less
Rhode Island$375$6,660$171 more
Vermont$660$6,375$114 less

How Massachusetts bonus withholding works

Short answer: your employer withholds a flat 22% for federal income tax (the supplemental rate), plus 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare, plus Massachusetts withholding and 0.46% MA Paid Family & Medical Leave on top: typically 30–35% of a Massachusetts bonus withheld up front. Bonuses aren't actually taxed at a higher rate, though: at tax time they're ordinary income, and any over-withholding comes back in your refund. Here's how each piece works.

  • Federal supplemental rate: Most employers withhold federal income tax from bonuses at a flat 22%, $2,200 on a $10,000 bonus, or 37% above $1 million a year, regardless of your regular bracket.
  • Massachusetts state tax: Bonus income is ultimately taxed through a 5% flat income tax, plus a 4% surtax on income over roughly $1.08 million. The calculator estimates the Massachusetts share based on your inputs. The bonus also pays 0.46% MA Paid Family & Medical Leave, as any wage does.
  • FICA taxes still apply: Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% for high earners) come out of a bonus like any wage: $765 on $10,000.
  • Over-withholding is common: The flat 22% federal rate is often higher than your actual effective rate, and the difference comes back as a refund. In Massachusetts the whole $10,000 nets $6,489 once state tax, FICA and MA Paid Family & Medical Leave are in.

Your actual bonus tax depends on your total annual income, not the bonus alone: these figures assume a $75,000 Massachusetts salary. Enter your own numbers above for an estimate that fits your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Typically 30–35%: a flat 22% federal supplemental withholding, 7.65% FICA, a 5% flat income tax, plus a 4% surtax on income over roughly $1.08 million, and 0.46% MA Paid Family & Medical Leave. Your actual tax owed depends on your full-year income and may be lower: the difference comes back as a refund when you file.

The IRS requires employers to withhold federal income tax from supplemental wages (including bonuses) at a flat 22% rate for amounts up to $1 million, rising to 37% above that. Your employer may alternatively add the bonus to your regular paycheck and withhold using the aggregate method. Worked through for Massachusetts: a $10,000 bonus keeps $6,489: 64.9% of it, after $500 of Massachusetts income tax and $46 of MA Paid Family & Medical Leave.

It depends on your total annual income and tax bracket. If the 22% flat withholding rate is higher than your actual effective rate on the bonus, you'll get the difference back as a refund; if you're in a higher bracket, you may owe more. On a $75,000 salary in Massachusetts, a bonus is taxed at about 22% federally plus 5.0% to Massachusetts, so the 22% flat rate is close to the mark at that income.

Yes: as regular income. Some employers withhold Massachusetts tax on bonuses at a supplemental rate, but what you ultimately owe is determined by a 5% flat income tax, plus a 4% surtax on income over roughly $1.08 million applied to your full-year income.

Splitting a bonus across pay periods can reduce withholding if your employer uses the aggregate method, which annualizes your income, but it changes the timing, not the amount you ultimately owe. Where you live changes the amount: Massachusetts ranks 36 of 51 on what a $10,000 bonus leaves, against $6,565 in the median state and $6,017 in California.

Against the 5 states Massachusetts borders, the same a $10,000 bonus is worth $6,489 here: New Hampshire keeps $546 more ($7,035), Rhode Island keeps $171 more ($6,660), Connecticut leaves $4 less ($6,485), New York leaves $37 less ($6,452) and Vermont leaves $114 less ($6,375). New Hampshire and Rhode Island are the only borders worth crossing for the tax alone.

Massachusetts property taxes (especially in Boston and surrounding suburbs) are among the highest in the nation. A $500,000 home in Boston might incur $8,000-$12,000+ annually in property taxes, which can offset the income tax advantage compared to other states. Many people focus on the 5% income tax rate and are shocked when they see property tax bills, which aren't on your paycheck but significantly impact your total tax burden.

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