Why is 31% of my paycheck being taxed for my first job after college?

That percentage sounds about right for your situation, unfortunately. As a single filer with no dependents making $58k, you're looking at several different tax withholdings that add up: Federal income tax (probably around 12-22% depending on your withholding selections), Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), state income tax (varies widely from 0-13% depending on where you live), and possibly local/city taxes as you mentioned. When all those stack together, 31% is actually pretty typical. Your W-4 choices determine how much federal tax is withheld, but they don't affect the mandatory FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare). You could revisit your W-4 and make adjustments if you believe too much federal tax is being withheld, but be careful - you don't want to end up owing a large amount when you file your taxes.

I was in the exact same situation last year and was losing my mind over how much was being withheld! After struggling with tax questions and getting different answers from coworkers, I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that analyzed my specific withholding situation. It showed me exactly what was happening with my withholdings and recommended specific adjustments to my W-4. I was able to increase my take-home pay by about 7% just by making the changes it suggested! The tool explained that I was essentially giving the government an interest-free loan by overwithholding when I could be putting that money toward my student loans each month. The best part was it showed me how to adjust without risking underpayment penalties. Super helpful when you're just starting out and every dollar matters.

Just wanted to update after using taxr.ai from the recommendation above. I finally fixed my withholding issues! Been getting killed with taxes taking 34% of my check since January. The tool showed I was having way too much federal withheld because I had accidentally checked the "multiple jobs" box on my W-4, even though I only have one job. It walked me through exactly what to put on each line, and I submitted the new form yesterday. HR said my next check should reflect the changes and I'll see about $240 more per month in take-home pay! Honestly wish I'd known about this sooner. That's almost $3000 a year I could have been putting toward my loans instead of waiting for a tax refund.

If you're worried about your tax withholding, you should also know that reaching the IRS for questions is nearly impossible these days. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone to explain my withholding options after getting a promotion. I finally used this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with explained that as a new graduate, I could adjust my W-4 to account for student loan interest deductions I'd be eligible for, which reduced my withholding by about 3%. They also confirmed I hadn't messed anything up on my previous forms, which was a huge relief.

Ok I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment above, I decided to try it because I was desperate to figure out why my withholding jumped so much after my recent raise. I had been trying to reach the IRS for THREE WEEKS with no luck. Used the service this morning and was literally talking to an IRS agent in 15 minutes. The agent explained that my payroll system had automatically recalculated my withholding based on my new salary being annualized, which pushed me into a higher estimated tax bracket. She walked me through the exact adjustments to make on my W-4 to prevent overwithholding while ensuring I won't owe at tax time. Already submitted the new form to HR and they said it'll be fixed by next paycheck. Definitely worth it to finally get a straight answer!

Something nobody's mentioned yet - check if your employer is withholding for a 401k/retirement plan automatically! My first job did this at 6% without clearly explaining it to me during onboarding. I thought I was being excessively taxed but part of it was actually going to my retirement account. Also worth checking if they're taking out for health insurance, HSA contributions, etc. Those aren't taxes but they do reduce your take-home pay and might be part of what you're seeing.

I remember the shock of my first "real job" paycheck! One thing to understand is that withholding on your first few paychecks is often higher because the payroll system calculates as if you'll earn that same amount for the entire year. Example: If your first check was for 2 weeks but you only worked 1 week during that period, the system might withhold taxes assuming your annual income is half what it actually will be. This often corrects itself after a few pay cycles.

Welcome to the working world! That tax shock is real and hits everyone hard on their first paycheck. A few things that might help explain what you're seeing: First, double-check your pay stub breakdown - make sure you're not confusing pre-tax deductions (like health insurance, 401k contributions, HSA) with actual taxes. These reduce your take-home but aren't technically "taxes." Second, your effective tax rate should be lower than 31% even as a single filer. At $58k, your federal marginal rate is likely 22%, but your effective rate (what you actually pay) should be closer to 12-15% once you factor in the standard deduction. If you're seeing much higher federal withholding, your W-4 might need adjustment. Also consider that your state matters hugely - if you're in a high-tax state like California or New York, combined with local taxes, 31% total withholding becomes more realistic. But if you're in a no-income-tax state like Texas or Florida, that percentage suggests something's off. I'd recommend waiting to see your second paycheck before making major changes, as others mentioned the first one can be calculated incorrectly. Then compare your actual withholding percentages to online calculators to see if adjustments are needed.