Educational content on pay, taxes, and career decisions — backed by real verified paycheck data from workers across the country. Browse by topic below.
How your pay is built, taxed, and what each line means.
The full breakdown of federal tax, FICA, state tax, insurance, and retirement. Why $75K becomes $50K.
Paycheck BasicsThe difference between what you earn and what you keep, with real California examples.
Paycheck BasicsMultiply by 2,080 to get your annual salary. Full chart for $15–$100/hr, plus real take-home after taxes.
Paycheck Basics401(k) match, stock, parental leave, healthcare compared. Which retailer pays more beyond the wage?
Paycheck BasicsEvery line explained: FICA, pre-tax, post-tax, YTD, and what to check for errors.
Paycheck Basics1.5x sounds great — but you only keep ~63% after taxes. The real overtime math.
OvertimeReal hospital data: $2.45–$8/hr extra. See what it actually adds after taxes.
DifferentialsHow the same salary lands differently depending on where you live.
Same salary, wildly different take-home. Texas keeps $47,690. California keeps $44,280. All 50 states compared.
State TaxesA $100K salary leaves $72,690 in Texas but $64,850 in California. Your real take-home in all 50 states.
State TaxesReal pay scales and take-home for nurses, techs, and hospital staff.
CA nurses earn $80K–$140K gross — but what do they take home? Real after-tax pay for RNs, LVNs, and CNAs.
HealthcareWho pays RNs more? Sharp starts higher, but Kaiser pulls ahead mid-career. Full scales + take-home compared.
Healthcare31,000 workers walked out. Here's what Kaiser healthcare workers earn after taxes with real paycheck data.
Healthcare$55–$91/hr across 12 California hospitals. Full pay scale by experience.
HealthcareReal pay from union contracts at 12 CA hospitals — $55–$90/hr — with take-home after taxes.
HealthcareReal pay from union contracts — $40–$81/hr — with a cost-of-living comparison across 4 hospitals.
Healthcare$34–$52/hr at union hospitals. Steps, differentials, and how to earn more.
HealthcareCEOs earn $2.4M while nurses take home $62K. The data behind healthcare's growing pay divide.
Pay GapWhat union membership means for your paycheck, plus WAGETru's mission.
Do union workers really make more? What our data from 20 employers shows, by role.
UnionWAGETru's roadmap to cover Walmart, Target, Amazon, and every employer with regional pay comparisons.
About WAGETruWAGETru shows verified paychecks — not estimates. Browse wages · Union lookup · Submit your paystub