Moonlighting Take-Home Calculator

Moonlighting — picking up extra shifts outside your main job — is one of the fastest ways for residents, fellows and many clinicians to get ahead on debt or savings. But the hourly rate on the offer isn't what lands in your account. This calculator shows what you keep after taxes and costs, and what that means per hour.

What this calculator does

Enter your hourly rate, hours per month, how you're paid (1099 or W-2), your regular salary, filing status, state tax rate and any yearly costs. The calculator estimates:

• your gross moonlighting pay for the year,
• the extra federal, payroll and state tax it creates,
• what you keep for the year and per hour, and
• the share of each dollar you keep.

The formula in plain English

Moonlighting income is stacked on top of your salary, so the calculator compares your tax with and without it. The difference is the tax caused by moonlighting.

Federal income tax. Tax on (salary + moonlighting) minus tax on salary alone, using 2026 brackets and the standard deduction.

Payroll tax.

• W-2: you pay 7.65% (6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare).
• 1099: you pay self-employment tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of your profit (Social Security stops at the wage base), and you can deduct half of it. Healthcare work is a "specified service," so the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction applies only below the 2026 income thresholds; the calculator includes it where you qualify.

State tax. Your profit times the state rate you enter.

You keep = gross pay − costs − all of the above taxes.

A worked example

Sam is a PGY-3 earning $75,000 who picks up 24 hours a month of urgent care work at $130 an hour on a 1099. Sam is single, the state rate is 5%, and yearly costs (a license and a DEA registration) are about $1,000.

• Gross moonlighting pay: $37,440 a year.
• Extra taxes: about $12,800 — federal income tax at Sam's 22% bracket, self-employment tax and state tax.
• Sam keeps about $23,600 a year, or roughly $82 an hour — about 63% of the posted rate.

That's still a big boost on a resident salary: about $2,000 a month toward loans or savings.

Why it matters at each career stage

If you're: Resident / fellow

Check your program's moonlighting policy and duty-hour rules first. If you're on PSLF, remember that moonlighting raises your income, which raises your income-driven loan payment the next year. It's often still worth it — just plan for it. Set aside about 35% of each 1099 check for taxes.

If you're: Employed

Extra shifts at a higher bracket are taxed more heavily, so the per-hour value can be lower than it looks. Compare the after-tax rate with what that time is worth to you. A solo 401(k) can shelter a good part of 1099 income.

If you're: Student

Most students can't moonlight clinically, but you can use this calculator to see what extra shifts during residency might be worth for your plans.

Tips

Set money aside from every check. For 1099 work, move a fixed percentage into a separate savings account the day you're paid.

Track your costs. Licenses, malpractice and mileage add up and reduce taxable profit.

Watch burnout. The after-tax hourly rate is a good way to decide which shifts are worth your time and which aren't.

To plan your quarterly payments, use the quarterly estimated tax calculator. To compare a full 1099 job with a W-2 job, try W-2 vs 1099.