Free owner pay calculator · About 5 minutes
This free owner pay calculator takes a normal month, removes costs, taxes, debt and a cash cushion, and shows the paycheck that's left for you, plus how you compare to businesses your size. Built by CFO Embedded, bookkeeping and profit coaching for Dallas small business owners.
Your safe monthly take-home
$5,983 / month
$71,793 a year, after business taxes. Once your cushion is built: $9,008 a month.
S-corp owners need a reasonable salary through payroll before taking distributions. Add one above.
Above $2.65M a year in revenue, Texas franchise tax may apply. Check with your CPA.
An estimate for planning, not tax advice. Your entity, deductions and filing status change the real figure. Federal figures use the 2026 Social Security wage base.
Four quick checks, worked out from the same numbers.
Share of your real revenue, against the Profit First targets for businesses with $250K–$500K in real revenue a year.
Targets from Mike Michalowicz's Profit First. A guide for the direction to move in, not a rule.
15 days of costs in the bank
The typical small business holds about 27 days (JPMorgan Chase Institute). Your target of 3 months is $87,600. Setting aside $3,025 a month gets you there in 24 months.
$1,276
Your take-home if revenue and materials drop 20% and everything else stays the same. Fixed costs don't shrink when work does.
Worked out from your numbers, after tax. We help you pick the one that fits your business.
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Self-employment tax, 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare: IRS →
Reasonable salary for S-corp owners: IRS →
2026 Social Security wage base, $184,500: Social Security Administration →
Franchise tax no-tax-due threshold, $2.65 million: Texas Comptroller →
Target allocation percentages by real revenue: Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz
Median small business cash buffer, 27 days: JPMorgan Chase Institute →
Figures checked October 2026. We re-check the wage base and the franchise threshold every January.
That's the conversation. Bring these numbers to a free 20-minute call and we'll show you which lever to pull first.
Twenty minutes with Tim. No pitch, no pressure.