See what actually lands in your bank account from a California job. Enter your salary or hourly wage, pay frequency, W-4 details and pre-tax deductions to get take-home pay per paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, California income tax and SDI.
Last updated:
Gross pay
How are you paid?
$
$
h
h
Paid at 1.5× the hourly rate
Federal W-4
$
Annual amount, e.g. $2,200 per child under 17
$
Per year
$
Per year, beyond the standard deduction
$
Per paycheck
California
$475 CA dependent exemption credit each
%
2026: 1.3% · 2025: 1.2% · no wage cap
Deductions
% of gross
Capped at the yearly limit: $24,500 (2026), $23,500 (2025)
$
Per paycheck; Section 125 items skip FICA too
$
California taxes HSA contributions, so they are added back for CA tax
$
Per paycheck: Roth 401(k), union dues, etc.
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the California Paycheck Calculator
Choose salary or hourly and enter your pay, hours and overtime.
Pick your pay frequency and tax year.
Copy your W-4 entries: filing status, dependents credit and any Step 4 amounts.
Add California dependents and deductions: 401(k) percent, pre-tax health and HSA, after-tax deductions.
Press Calculate to see take-home pay per check and the full breakdown.
Pre-tax deductions: traditional 401(k) lowers income-tax wages; Section 125 health, dental and FSA lower income-tax, FICA and SDI wages.
Federal income tax: annualized wages minus the W-4 standard deduction, through the 2026 brackets, minus Step 3 credits.
FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to $184,500 (2026) plus 1.45% Medicare (+0.9% above $200,000).
California income tax: wages (with HSA added back) minus the CA standard deduction, through the CA rate schedule, minus exemption credits.
CA SDI: 1.3% of SDI wages for 2026, with no cap.
Example: $80,000 salary, single, biweekly, 5% 401(k) and $100 per check of pre-tax health insurance. California taxable income is $80,000 − $4,000 − $2,600 − $5,706 = $67,694, giving about $2,646.57 of CA tax after the $153 credit ($2,799.57 − $153). SDI is $77,400 × 1.3% = $1,006.20 a year.
California 2025 tax rate schedule
Rate
Single / married filing separately
Married filing jointly
Head of household
1%
$0 – $11,079
$0 – $22,158
$0 – $22,173
2%
$11,079 – $26,264
$22,158 – $52,528
$22,173 – $52,530
4%
$26,264 – $41,452
$52,528 – $82,904
$52,530 – $67,716
6%
$41,452 – $57,542
$82,904 – $115,084
$67,716 – $83,805
8%
$57,542 – $72,724
$115,084 – $145,448
$83,805 – $98,990
9.3%
$72,724 – $371,479
$145,448 – $742,958
$98,990 – $505,208
10.3%
$371,479 – $445,771
$742,958 – $891,542
$505,208 – $606,251
11.3%
$445,771 – $742,953
$891,542 – $1,485,906
$606,251 – $1,010,417
12.3%
over $742,953
over $1,485,906
over $1,010,417
Plus 1% Mental Health Services Tax on taxable income above $1,000,000 for every filing status. Standard deduction: $5,706 single, $11,412 joint or head of household. Exemption credit: $153 per filer, $475 per dependent (2025).
Ways to keep more of a California paycheck
Max out the 401(k). In the 9.3% CA bracket and 22% federal bracket, each $1,000 contributed cuts about $313 of income tax.
Use Section 125 benefits such as health premiums and FSAs, which also escape FICA and SDI.
Update your DE 4 separately from your W-4 if your California situation (dependents, itemized deductions) differs; California does not use the federal W-4.
Know the supplemental rates. Bonuses are withheld at 22% federal and 6.6% California (10.23% for stock options and bonuses), so a bonus check looks smaller than regular pay.
Claim the CalEITC and Young Child Tax Credit at tax time if your income is modest; they are refundable.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax is taken out of a California paycheck?
Four or five items: federal income tax (based on your W-4), Social Security (6.2% up to the wage base), Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000), California personal income tax (1% to 12.3%, plus 1% over $1 million) and California SDI (1.3% of all wages in 2026). On a typical $80,000 salary, total taxes usually come to roughly 20% to 25% of gross pay.
What is California SDI?
State Disability Insurance funds short-term disability and Paid Family Leave benefits. It is paid only by employees. Since 2024 there is no maximum wage, so it applies to every dollar of pay; the rate is 1.2% for 2025 and 1.3% for 2026. You can type a different rate in the calculator.
What are the California income tax brackets?
For 2025, single filers pay 1% on the first $11,079 of taxable income, then 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 9.3% from $72,724, 10.3%, 11.3% and 12.3% above $742,953. Joint filers' brackets are twice as wide. An extra 1% Mental Health Services Tax applies to taxable income over $1 million.
Does California tax 401(k) and HSA contributions?
Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from California taxable wages, just like federally. HSA contributions are different: California does not recognize HSAs, so your HSA payroll contributions are added back to California wages. Enter the HSA part separately so the calculator handles it.
Is there local income tax in California?
No California city or county levies a general income tax on wages. San Francisco has business payroll and gross-receipts taxes, but they are paid by employers, not withheld from your check.
Why is my actual paycheck slightly different?
Employers use the IRS percentage method and California's DE 4 withholding tables, which annualize each paycheck and round in specific ways. Year-to-date earnings, bonuses withheld at flat supplemental rates (22% federal, 6.6% California) and taxable benefits can also change a given check.
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