How Fort Worth take-home pay works
Your Fort Worth take-home pay is your gross salary minus federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%). The calculator subtracts each in order and divides by your pay frequency to show net pay per paycheck.
Take-home = Gross − Federal − FICA (7.65%)
Population: 1,028,117 city / 8,477,157 metro (Census estimates for July 2025). Fort Worth is one of the largest US cities and has unique tax rules described below.
Texas state income tax
Texas has no state income tax, one of nine US states with no personal income tax.
For full Texas state tax details, deductions, and exemptions, see the Texas Paycheck Calculator.
Take-home pay at common Fort Worth salaries
Estimated annual net pay for a single filer in Fort Worth, including federal + state taxes and FICA. Use the calculator above for personalized figures.
| Gross | Annual Net | Bi-weekly | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading… | |||
Income vs cost of living in Fort Worth
Understanding your paycheck in Fort Worth means looking beyond the gross number, the cost of living here directly determines what your take-home pay actually buys.
| Median household income | $82,503/year |
| Median earnings, people with earnings | $46,488/year |
| Price level, metro area (BEA 2024) | 103.1 (U.S. = 100) |
| Median rent, 1 bedroom | $1,352/month |
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,662/month |
Income and rent: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates for the city of Fort Worth. Rent is median gross rent, rent plus utilities, across all renters, long-standing and rent-regulated leases included, so a new lease usually costs more. Price level: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area.
Tax highlight
Fort Worth pairs Texas's no-income-tax advantage with prices near the national level: BEA's 2024 price level for the Dallas-Fort Worth metro is 103.1 (U.S. = 100). Defense and aviation workers at Lockheed Martin and American Airlines earn strong salaries while keeping more than peers in aerospace hubs like Los Angeles, where California's top rate is 13.3%: a single filer earning $120,000 keeps about $8,475 a year more in Fort Worth. Seattle has no income tax either, and the same salary there takes home about $1,665 less than in Fort Worth because of Washington's paid-leave and WA Cares premiums.
Fort Worth local economy & job market
Fort Worth's economy centers on aviation, defense, and logistics. American Airlines is headquartered in Fort Worth and employs many people across the metro in HQ, pilot base, and maintenance operations. Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and is a major employer of engineers and skilled workers. Bell Textron (helicopters) is another major aerospace employer. AllianceTexas, a large master-planned development around Fort Worth Alliance Airport, hosts Amazon, FedEx, BNSF Railway, and many other logistics companies. Healthcare anchors Cook Children's, JPS Health Network, and Texas Health Resources. Fort Worth has historically been overshadowed by Dallas but has grown faster in percentage terms: its population grew 12% from April 2020 to July 2025, against 2% for Dallas (Census estimates). Lower cost of living than Dallas attracts workers commuting to DFW employers.
Top employers & industries in Fort Worth
Major employers
- American Airlines
- Lockheed Martin
- Alcon Laboratories
- JPS Health Network
Key industries
- Aviation & Aerospace
- Defense
- Healthcare
- Logistics & Distribution
What jobs pay in the Fort Worth area
Annual wages across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). Half of the workers in each job earn between the two figures in the middle column. Bonuses paid as wages are included; stock awards and self-employment are not.
| Occupation | Middle half earns | Median |
|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $36,800 – $81,840 | $51,440 |
| Registered Nurses | $81,640 – $110,630 | $101,420 |
| Software Developers | $105,660 – $164,100 | $133,290 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,100 – $104,150 | $82,620 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,760 – $72,000 | $65,070 |
| Electricians | $47,530 – $71,390 | $59,010 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,090 – $73,020 | $59,530 |
| Retail Salespersons | $28,610 – $36,720 | $33,400 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $107,660 – $177,470 | $134,570 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $207,970 – $417,070 | $212,810 |
| Logisticians | $59,430 – $99,300 | $76,510 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, for the whole metro area. Use the calculator above for take-home pay at any of these salaries.
Fort Worth housing market
Fort Worth's housing market remains more affordable than Dallas: the median value of owner-occupied homes was $330,500 in Fort Worth against $340,400 in Dallas in 2024, as owners estimate it (Census Bureau). Suburbs vary widely: Westlake and Southlake cost far above the city median; Aledo, Weatherford, and Mansfield are family-friendly markets; Crowley and Burleson are entry-level. Tornado risk is real (in the Oklahoma-Texas tornado alley). Property taxes are high: the median property tax bill in the city is $5,050, about 1.5% of the median home value (Census Bureau, 2024). Hudson Oaks and Granbury (further west) offer rural acreage and lake access. New construction is heavy in the Alliance corridor (north) and along I-30 corridor toward Weatherford. Fort Worth's lower density gives more yard space and storage for similar prices vs Dallas's denser inner suburbs.
Commute & transportation in Fort Worth
Fort Worth is served by Trinity Metro bus and TEXRail commuter rail connecting to DFW Airport. Most residents drive. I-30, I-20, and I-35W are main arteries. Fort Worth is less congested than Dallas but traffic around Alliance Airport and Lockheed Martin's campus can be heavy during shift changes.
Notable neighborhoods in Fort Worth
Fort Worth tax nuances you should know
Identical to Dallas: no state income tax, the same 8.25% combined sales tax, and high property taxes. The median property tax bill is $5,050 in Fort Worth on a median home value of $330,500, against $4,943 on $340,400 in Dallas (Census Bureau, 2024). Active-duty military stationed at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRBTW) get state-tax-free Texas treatment plus federal exemptions. F-35 program engineers at Lockheed often have security clearances that can come with clearance bonuses (taxable as ordinary income). American Airlines pilots based in DFW receive per-diem allowances that are partially tax-exempt. Fort Worth's healthcare district has multiple non-profit hospital systems, where employees may qualify for PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) on student loans.
Fort Worth paycheck & tax tips
- Maximize pre-tax deductions: 401(k) contributions (up to $24,500 in 2026), HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family), FSA ($3,400) and commuter benefits (up to $340/month) all reduce your taxable income before federal income tax is calculated.
- Check your W-4 withholding: After major life changes (marriage, a new dependent, second job), update your W-4 to avoid owing a large tax bill or over-withholding. Use our W-4 Calculator to find the right allowances.
- Pay frequency matters: Bi-weekly earners get 26 paychecks per year (2 months with 3 paychecks). Budget based on monthly income, not per-paycheck amount, to avoid surprises in 3-paycheck months.
- Track FICA limits: Social Security (6.2%) only applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026. Once you cross that threshold, your paycheck increases by roughly 6.2% for the rest of the year, plan ahead if you depend on that boost.
- Self-employed in Fort Worth? You owe the full 15.3% self-employment tax (employee + employer FICA portions) instead of 7.65%. The calculator above shows employee-side FICA, self-employed workers should add the employer half when budgeting.
Who should move to Fort Worth?
Fort Worth is ideal for: aerospace/defense engineers (Lockheed's F-35 program is a major employer); American Airlines employees; logistics professionals tied to AllianceTexas; families seeking lower housing costs than Dallas with similar suburb amenities; military families connected to NASJRBTW. Less ideal for: tech workers (Dallas/Austin have far more tech opportunities); urban-living enthusiasts (Fort Worth's density is lower); or anyone wanting beaches/mountains. Fort Worth + Dallas commuting is common, many high-income workers live in Fort Worth suburbs and commute via I-30 to downtown Dallas employers, or use the TEXRail commuter rail to DFW Airport.
Fort Worth paycheck frequently asked questions
How does Fort Worth compare to Dallas for take-home pay?
The tax situation is identical, both are in Texas with no state or city income tax. Fort Worth and Dallas share one BEA price level (103.1 for the metro area in 2024), but the Census Bureau's 2024 survey puts median gross rent at $1,352 for a one-bedroom and $1,662 for a two-bedroom in Fort Worth, against $1,430 and $1,735 in Dallas, so the same after-tax paycheck goes further in Fort Worth. Many workers choose Fort Worth for affordability while commuting to DFW-area employers.
What industries pay the best in Fort Worth?
Aviation and aerospace lead. American Airlines headquarters employs finance, operations, and IT staff, and Lockheed Martin employs defense engineers; across the metro area, the middle half of aerospace engineers earn $107,660–$177,470, BLS figures for May 2025 show. Healthcare pay at JPS and Cook Children's depends on specialty; registered nurses in the metro area earn a median of $101,420. The logistics and distribution sector tied to Alliance Airport employs many workers at more modest wages.