How Much Self-Employment Tax Will I Pay?

Self employment taxes are comprised of two parts: Social Security and Medicare. You will pay 6.2 percent and your employer will pay Social Security taxes of 6.2 percent on the first $117,000 of your covered wages. You each also pay Medicare taxes of 1.45 percent on all your wages - no limit. If you are self-employed, your Social Security tax rate is 12.4 percent and your Medicare tax is 2.9 percent on those same amounts of earnings but you are able to deduct the employer portion. You will pay an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on the amount that your annual income exceeds $200,000 for single filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly, and $125,000 married filing separate. Use this calculator to estimate your self-employment taxes.