How to use the California paycheck calculator
- 1 Enter your pay and choose whether it is a yearly salary or an hourly wage (with hours a week).
- 2 Choose how often you are paid and your filing status.
- 3 Enter your children under 17 and your 401(k) contribution.
- 4 Read your take-home pay per paycheck and every deduction.
Worked example
A single California worker earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with 5% to a 401(k). From each $2,307.69 check: $115.38 of 401(k), $179.23 of federal income tax and $176.54 of Social Security and Medicare, $53.58 of California tax ($1,551 on $51,100 of taxable income less the $158 credit, spread over 26 checks) and $30.00 of SDI. Take-home pay is $1,752.96.
Getting more from a California paycheck
- Check your pay stub against the calculator once a year.
- Raise your 401(k) to cut federal and state tax.
- Update your W-4 after marriage, a child or a raise.
- Remember HSAs are taxed by California.
Compare with the Nevada Paycheck Calculator, the Arizona Paycheck Calculator and check bonus withholding with the Bonus Tax Calculator.
Features
2026 FTB brackets
Nine rates from 1% to 12.3%, plus 1% over $1 million.
Exemption credits
$158 per filer and $491 per dependent.
SDI 1.3%
On all wages, with no wage cap.
When to use it
Bay Area and Los Angeles jobs
Compare offers by take-home pay. Convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Moving to Nevada or Texas
Compare with the Nevada Paycheck Calculator or the Texas Paycheck Calculator.
Bonuses
Check bonus withholding with the Bonus Tax Calculator.
Retirement saving
See your 401(k) growth with the 401(k) Calculator.
Related Pay and Salary tasks
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of a California paycheck?
On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks with 5% to a 401(k), about $54 of California income tax and $30 of SDI come out of each check, plus $179 of federal tax and $177 of Social Security and Medicare.
What are the California tax brackets for 2026?
For single filers: 1% up to $11,456, 2% to $27,157, 4% to $42,861, 6% to $59,498, 8% to $75,197, 9.3% to $384,109, 10.3% to $460,927, 11.3% to $768,213 and 12.3% above. Joint filers' brackets are double.
What is the California standard deduction for 2026?
$5,900 for single filers and married people filing separately, and $11,800 for joint filers and heads of household.
What are California exemption credits?
Credits that reduce tax directly: $158 for single filers and heads of household, $316 for joint filers and $491 for each dependent in 2026. They phase out at high incomes.
What is California SDI?
State Disability Insurance funds disability and Paid Family Leave benefits. In 2026 employees pay 1.3% of all wages, with no maximum since the wage cap was removed in 2024.
What is the 13.3% top rate?
The 12.3% top bracket plus the 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax on taxable income over $1 million.
Does California tax HSA contributions?
Yes. California does not recognize health savings accounts, so HSA contributions and earnings are taxable for California even though they are tax-free federally.
Do California cities have income taxes?
No city income tax applies to employees' wages. San Francisco's business taxes are paid by employers, not withheld from pay.
Do 401(k) contributions lower California tax?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from California taxable wages as well as federal. They do not reduce Social Security or Medicare.
How is federal tax worked out here?
Your yearly pay minus 401(k) contributions and the $16,100 federal standard deduction ($32,200 joint) is taxed at the 2026 brackets, then $2,200 is subtracted for each child under 17.
Is this my exact paycheck?
It is a close estimate. Employers use official withholding tables, and other deductions such as health insurance, HSA or union dues change your check.
Results are estimates based on the official rates linked above. Confirm important figures with the issuing authority or a qualified adviser before you act on them.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
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