Unless paid by your home government or school in your home country, you must receive your pay directly from your US host school or school district. Certain taxes will be withheld from your pay. The exact amount of tax you will have withheld varies because of a number of factors: individual states have different tax rates, your specific tax rate may also vary depending on how much you earn and how many dependents you have.
As a rough guide you should expect to pay the following in federal and state taxes:
- Federal Payroll Tax – 10-15% (will vary by how much you earn)
- FICA (Social Security/Medicare – 7.65%
- State Payroll Tax – 6% (will vary by state)
Note: If you live in one of the following states, you will not have to pay state taxes:
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming
Websites to research in order to more accurately understand your tax obligation: