How a Arizona paycheck is built
Every Arizona worker pays federal income tax, calculated on the W-4 you submitted to your employer using the IRS Publication 15-T tables. Federal income tax is followed by FICA: 6.2 percent Social Security up to the annual wage base, plus 1.45 percent Medicare on every dollar. The 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax applies once year-to-date wages cross $200,000 single or $250,000 married filing jointly.
Arizona adds a flat state income tax of approximately 2.50 percent. Verify the current rate with the Arizona Department of Revenue.
What changed recently in Arizona
- Flat 2.5% rate effective from 2023, no change announced for 2026.
- Annual minimum wage indexing under Proposition 206.
- No state-level paid leave program. Sick leave under Prop 206 still applies.
Arizona payroll quirks workers should know
- Watch the Arizona A-4 form, not just the federal W-4. State withholding is a chosen percentage of gross taxable wages.
- Several A-4 percentages available (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%). Default for new hires is 2%.
- No SDI, no PFL, no city tax in Arizona.
Example breakdown
A hypothetical Arizona worker on a $65,000 annual salary, paid bi-weekly, single filer, no extra adjustments. Educational only, your real paycheck differs.
| Gross (bi-weekly) | $2,500.00 |
| Federal income tax | -$216.15 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$155.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$36.25 |
| Arizona state tax | -$62.50 |
| Estimated take-home | $2,030.10 |
Run your own numbers in the Arizona paycheck calculator.