California Paycheck Calculator
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Enter your pay, how often you are paid, and the choices on your Form W-4 and Form DE 4, and this California paycheck calculator shows your 2026 take-home pay. It follows the Employment Development Department's exact calculation tables, takes 1.3% State Disability Insurance from every dollar, and works out the employer's side of the bill under it, including the extra federal tax California employers may owe.
State
CaliforniaCalifornia withholds with the Employment Development Department's 2026 Method B tables: the low-income exemption, the standard and estimated deductions, the rate table, then a credit for each allowance.
I'm paid
California withholding
Each allowance lowers the tax by a fixed credit. A single worker usually claims 1.
Only if you listed deductions on the form.
Form W-4 steps 2 to 4
Two jobs with similar pay, or both spouses work. California then uses its single-person tables for a married worker.
Step 3: $2,200 each.
Step 3: $500 each.
Step 4(a).
Step 4(b).
Step 4(c).
2026 limit $24,500.
Pre-tax.
2026 limit $8,750.
Take-home pay per paycheck
$1,838.65
$2,307.69 gross · $469.04 withheld (20.3%)
Where this paycheck goes
- Gross pay
- $2,307.69
- Federal income taxIRS Publication 15-T (2026) percentage method, worked from your Form W-4 entries.
- - $193.08
- Social Security6.2%Social Security tax stops once your pay for the year reaches the $184,500 wage base.
- - $143.08
- Medicare1.45%
- - $33.46
- Additional Medicare0.9%Withheld on pay above $200,000 in a calendar year, whatever your filing status.
- - $0.00
- California income taxCalifornia withholds with the Employment Development Department's 2026 Method B tables: the low-income exemption, the standard and estimated deductions, the rate table, then a credit for each allowance.
- - $69.42
- California SDI1.3%State Disability Insurance, which also pays California Paid Family Leave. 1.3% of all pay in 2026, with no yearly cap since 2024.
- - $30.00
- 401(k)Skips federal income tax, but Social Security and Medicare still apply.
- - $0.00
- Health premiumsThrough a cafeteria plan, these skip income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
- - $0.00
- HSA
- - $0.00
Over the year, 26 paychecks
- Gross pay
- $60,000
- Taxes
- - $12,195
- Pre-tax deductions
- - $0
- Share kept
- 79.7%
Of every $100 of gross pay, $80 is take-home.
Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
California income tax$1,805 · 3%
California SDI$780 · 1.3%
Take-home pay$47,805 · 79.7%
Take-home pay rises with every extra dollar of salary.
Gross payTake-home pay
This pay costs the employer $64,982 a year, $2,499.31 each pay period.
What the employer adds, per year
- Employer Social Security6.2% to $184,500
- $3,720
- Employer Medicare1.45%
- $870
- Federal unemployment (FUTA)0.6% of the first $7,0006.0% less a 5.4% credit leaves 0.6%. California's possible credit cut is on the next line.
- $42
- FUTA credit cut1.5% ($105) if the waiver is granted, up to 5.3% ($371) without it, final list after 10 NovCalifornia still owes the federal government money it borrowed for unemployment benefits, so its employers lose part of the federal credit. The Labor Department's list of 11 September 2026 shows 1.5%, or 5.3% if it refuses California's add-on waiver; it granted the waiver for 2025, when the final cut was 1.2%. The final 2026 list comes after 10 November 2026.
- $105
- California unemployment3.4% of the first $7,000A new California employer pays 3.4% on the first $7,000 of each employee's pay, for two to three years, plus a 0.1% Employment Training Tax on the same pay.
- $238
- California Employment Training Tax0.1% of the first $7,000A 0.1% employer tax on the first $7,000 of each employee's pay, collected with the unemployment tax.
- $7
Total cost of the employee
- Gross pay
- $60,000
- Employer taxes
- + $4,982
- Per pay periodUnemployment taxes stop at their wage bases, so the first paychecks of the year cost more than the last.
- $2,499.31
See which of your own people may be leaving, before they hand in notice.
Start 30-Day Free TrialCalifornia withholds from a set of tables, and your DE 4 changes which numbers it uses.
The Employment Development Department publishes California's 2026 withholding schedules in two forms. This calculator uses Method B, the exact calculation, in five steps: pay at or below the low-income exemption is not taxed at all; any allowances for estimated deductions come off the pay; the standard deduction comes off; the rate table gives the tax; and a credit for each regular allowance is subtracted. The rates run from 1.1% on the first slice of pay to 14.63% on the last.
A married worker whose spouse also works is better off on the single tables, which the EDD recommends to avoid under-withholding. The calculator does that when the Form W-4 Step 2 box is checked.
A $60,000 California salary takes home $1,838.65 every two weeks.
The calculator opens on this case: a single employee with 1 allowance on the DE 4 and a standard Form W-4, paid every two weeks, with no pre-tax deductions.
- Gross pay: $60,000 ÷ 26 = $2,307.69
- Federal income tax: $193.08
- California income tax: $2,307.69 less the $219 standard deduction is $2,088.69. The table line over $1,594 adds $43.24 plus 6.6% of the $494.69 above it, which is $75.89. The credit for 1 allowance is $6.47, so $69.42 is withheld.
- SDI: 1.3% × $2,307.69 = $30.00
- Social Security: 6.2% × $2,307.69 = $143.08; Medicare: 1.45% = $33.46
- Take-home pay: $1,838.65 a paycheck, $47,804.96 a year
Of $60,000 gross, $47,805 reaches the bank account.
Federal income tax$5,020 · 8.4%
Social Security$3,720 · 6.2%
Medicare$870 · 1.4%
California income tax$1,805 · 3%
California SDI$780 · 1.3%
Take-home pay$47,805 · 79.7%
Each paycheck: $1,838.65Kept: 79.7%
Each allowance on the DE 4 takes the same fixed credit off the tax.
On a biweekly paycheck the credit is $6.47 for the first allowance and $12.95 for two. The credit stops mattering once it has used up the tax, which is why a low-paid worker with several allowances can have nothing withheld. The EDD also sets a low-income exemption by pay period: $727 for a single worker paid every two weeks.
Each allowance takes $6.47 off the California tax of a biweekly paycheck.
0 allowances$75.89
1 allowance$69.42
2 allowances$62.94
3 allowances$56.47
5 allowances$43.52
California SDI has no wage limit, so it keeps taking 1.3% after Social Security stops.
State Disability Insurance is deducted from the employee's pay and also funds California Paid Family Leave. Until 2023 it stopped at a yearly wage limit; since January 1, 2024 every dollar of wages is subject to it. A $250,000 salary pays $3,250 of SDI over the year, while its Social Security tax stops after paycheck 20 of 26, and its Additional Medicare Tax starts in paycheck 21.
California SDI takes the same 1.3% of pay at every salary, while Social Security stops at $184,500.
$60,000 a year8.95% of pay
Social Security $3,720, Medicare $870, California SDI $780
$150,000 a year8.95% of pay
Social Security $9,300, Medicare $2,175, California SDI $1,950
$250,000 a year7.51% of pay
Social Security $11,439, Medicare $3,625, Additional Medicare $450, California SDI $3,250
$500,000 a year5.58% of pay
Social Security $11,439, Medicare $7,250, Additional Medicare $2,700, California SDI $6,500
Social SecurityMedicareAdditional MedicareCalifornia SDI
A 401(k) lowers California income tax but not SDI, and an HSA lowers neither.
The EDD's list of payments says a 401(k) deferral is not subject to California income tax withholding but is subject to SDI and unemployment tax. Premiums for medical, dental and vision plans through a cafeteria plan are not subject to anything. HSA contributions are the exception: they are subject to California withholding and SDI even through a cafeteria plan, so a $100 HSA contribution saves $12.00 of federal tax a paycheck and nothing on the California side.
Hiring that employee costs $64,982 a year in California, and up to $266 more if the federal credit cut lands at its top rate.
On top of the $60,000, the employer matches Social Security and Medicare at 6.2% and 1.45%, which is $4,590. It pays federal unemployment tax of 0.6% on the first $7,000, which is $42. A new California employer pays unemployment tax at 3.4% for two to three years on the first $7,000 of pay ($238) and a 0.1% Employment Training Tax on the same pay ($7).
California still owes the federal government money it borrowed to pay unemployment benefits, so its employers lose part of the credit that keeps the federal rate at 0.6%. The Labor Department's list of September 11, 2026 shows a potential cut of 1.5% for California in 2026, which adds $105 per employee, or 5.3% ($371) if it refuses California's add-on waiver. It granted that waiver for 2025, when the final cut was 1.2%. The final list comes after November 10, 2026, and the total above uses the 1.5%.
On $60,000 of pay, the employer owes $4,982 more in taxes.
Employer Social Security$3,720
Employer Medicare$870
California unemployment$238
California Employment Training Tax$7
Federal unemployment (FUTA)$42
FUTA credit cut (potential)$105
The state minimum wage is $16.90 an hour in 2026, which takes home $568.10 in a full-time week.
The Department of Industrial Relations lists $16.90 an hour from January 1, 2026 for employers without a higher industry or local minimum. At 40 hours a week that is $676.00 gross, with $8.79 of SDI, $8.20 of California income tax and $39.20 of federal income tax taken out. The overtime calculator works out what extra hours add before any of this tax comes out, including California's overtime after 8 hours in a day; this calculator counts the hours over 40 in a week.
Take-home pay in California runs from $33,158 on $40,000 to $101,165 on $150,000.
| Salary | Federal tax | Social Security and Medicare | California taxes | Take-home a year | Every two weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $1,162 | $33,158 | $1,275.31 |
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $1,795 | $40,560 | $1,560.01 |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $2,585 | $47,805 | $1,838.65 |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $4,028 | $57,564 | $2,214.01 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $6,861 | $72,319 | $2,781.48 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $12,626 | $101,165 | $3,890.95 |
Methodology & sources
The formula this calculator uses is shown in full above, and every assumption is an input you control. There are no hidden industry presets. All math runs in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent to a server. For the reasoning behind the formula and its edge cases, see:
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026): Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide: Social Security wage base of $184,500, Medicare, FUTA, 401(k) and cafeteria plan treatment
- IRS Form W-4 (2026): Step 3 credits of $2,200 and $500
- IRS Topic 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, Additional Medicare Tax over $200,000
- IRS Instructions for Form 940: FUTA tax of 6.0% less a credit of up to 5.4%, on the first $7,000
- U.S. Department of Labor: FUTA credit reductions, potential 2026 list (California and the Virgin Islands)
- IRS: 401(k) limit of $24,500 for 2026
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19: 2026 HSA limits of $4,400 and $8,750
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #23: overtime at time and one-half over 40 hours in a workweek
- California Employment Development Department: California Withholding Schedules for 2026, Method B, Exact Calculation Method
- California Employment Development Department: California Employer's Guide, DE 44 (Rev. 52, 4-26)
- California Employment Development Department: Types of Payments, DE 231TP (401(k), HSA and cafeteria plan payments)
- California Employment Development Department: UI, ETT and SDI rates and withholding schedules
- California Department of Industrial Relations: minimum wage of $16.90 an hour from January 1, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How does California work out the income tax taken from my paycheck?
- The Employment Development Department's 2026 schedules offer a wage bracket table (Method A) and an exact calculation (Method B), which it says may be used by computer; this calculator uses Method B. If your gross pay for the period is no more than the low-income exemption ($727 for a single worker paid every two weeks), nothing is withheld. Otherwise any allowances for estimated deductions on your Form DE 4 reduce the pay, the standard deduction ($219 for that worker) comes off, the result goes through a rate table that runs from 1.1% to 14.63%, and a fixed credit for each regular allowance is subtracted last.
- How much is $60,000 a year after tax in California?
- For a single employee who claims 1 allowance on the DE 4 and is paid every two weeks, a $60,000 salary takes home $1,838.65 a paycheck, or $47,804.96 a year. The year's taxes are $5,020.08 of federal income tax, $1,804.92 of California income tax, $780.00 of SDI, $3,720.08 of Social Security and $869.96 of Medicare.
- How much is $20 an hour after tax in California?
- At 40 hours a week and weekly pay, $20 an hour is $800.00 gross and $660.66 take-home a week for a single employee with 1 allowance. That is $54.08 of federal income tax, $13.66 of California income tax, $10.40 of SDI, $49.60 of Social Security and $11.60 of Medicare. Switch the calculator to hourly and type your own hours, including overtime.
- What is California SDI and do I pay it?
- State Disability Insurance is paid by employees through payroll deductions, and it also pays for California Paid Family Leave. The 2026 rate is 1.3% of wages. Since January 1, 2024 there is no wage limit, so a $250,000 salary pays $3,250 a year in SDI even though Social Security stops at $184,500.
- What does a 401(k) or an HSA do to my California paycheck?
- A 401(k) deferral is not subject to California income tax withholding, so putting 6% of a $60,000 salary into one ($138.46 a paycheck) cuts California withholding by $9.14 and take-home pay by only $112.70. It is still subject to SDI. An HSA is different: California does not follow the federal rule, so an HSA contribution through a cafeteria plan is still subject to California withholding and SDI, and only the federal tax and payroll taxes fall (by $12.00 a paycheck for $100).
- What do the allowances on my DE 4 change?
- Each regular allowance takes a fixed credit off the tax: $6.47 per biweekly paycheck. Two or more regular allowances also raise the standard deduction of a married worker. Allowances for estimated deductions work differently: they lower the pay that is taxed ($38 per allowance for a biweekly paycheck) and never earn the credit. Claiming no allowance on the $60,000 example raises the California tax from $69.42 to $75.89 a paycheck.
- Who pays unemployment tax in California?
- It is an employer tax, collected by the Employment Development Department. A new California employer pays 3.4% for two to three years on the first $7,000 of each employee's pay, and adds a 0.1% Employment Training Tax on the same pay. That is $238 plus $7 a year per employee at a $60,000 salary.
- What is the minimum wage in California in 2026?
- Since January 1, 2026 the state minimum wage is $16.90 an hour for all employers that are not covered by a higher minimum wage for their industry or locality. A full-time week at $16.90 is $676.00 gross and $568.10 take-home for a single employee, after $8.79 of SDI.
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