# How much is my California paycheck?

Take-home pay per paycheck after federal withholding (Pub 15-T), Social Security, Medicare, and California and local tax.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/california-paycheck-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/california-paycheck-calculator.json
- Version: 8f35102ef18d

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Paid by Salary, Yearly salary $60,000.00, Pay frequency Every two weeks, Filing status (W-4) Single or married separately, Children under 17 0, Other dependents 0, Two jobs (W-4 Step 2) No, Other income (Step 4a) $0.00, Deductions (Step 4b) $0.00, Extra withholding (Step 4c) $0.00, 401(k) or 403(b), % of pay 0%, Health premiums a paycheck $0.00, HSA or FSA a paycheck $0.00, Other local tax rate 0%, Pay date September 30, 2026) on the example date Wednesday, September 30, 2026: On $2,307.69 of gross pay per paycheck, your take-home pay is $1,845.02.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pay | Paid by | Salary, or hourly rate and hours. |
| salary | Yearly salary | Yearly gross pay. |
| rate | Hourly rate | Pay for one regular hour. |
| hours | Hours a week | Regular hours each week. |
| ot | Overtime hours a week | Hours each week paid at 1.5 times the rate. |
| freq | Pay frequency | Paychecks a year: 52, 26, 24, or 12. |
| status | Filing status (W-4) | Form W-4 filing status. |
| kids | Children under 17 | W-4 Step 3: $2,200 each. |
| deps | Other dependents | W-4 Step 3: $500 each. |
| twoJobs | Two jobs (W-4 Step 2) | W-4 Step 2(c) box checked. |
| w4a | Other income (Step 4a) | W-4 Step 4(a). |
| w4b | Deductions (Step 4b) | W-4 Step 4(b). |
| w4c | Extra withholding (Step 4c) | W-4 Step 4(c). |
| k401 | 401(k) or 403(b), % of pay | Pre-tax retirement contribution. |
| health | Health premiums a paycheck | Pre-tax premiums (section 125). |
| hsa | HSA or FSA a paycheck | Pre-tax HSA or FSA contribution. |
| localRate | Other local tax rate | Other local tax. |
| date | Pay date | Its year picks the tax year. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| net | Take-home pay | Net pay per paycheck. |
| gross | Gross pay | Pay before tax and deductions. |
| federal | Federal income tax | Pub 15-T withholding, with Step 4(c). |
| fica | Social Security and Medicare | Social Security plus Medicare. |
| socialSecurity | Social Security | 6.2% up to the wage base. |
| medicare | Medicare | 1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000. |
| stateLocal | State and local tax | State and local total. |
| stateTax | California income tax | State income tax. |
| statePayroll | California payroll contributions | State contributions. |
| localTax | Local income tax | Local income tax. |
| deductions | Pre-tax deductions | 401(k), health, HSA or FSA. |

## Method

Gross = salary (or rate × (hours + 1.5 × overtime) × 52) ÷ paychecks. Federal: Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A. Social Security and Medicare: the year’s ÷ paychecks. California: the year’s tax and contributions ÷ paychecks.

## Assumptions

- An estimate, not tax advice. A 2020 or later Form W-4.
- Not modelled: Roth and after-tax deductions, garnishments, bonuses, tips, AMT, the premium tax credit, education credits.
- California tax is the year’s tax spread evenly (not California’s withholding formula). 2025 rates.
- California: Brackets and credits are 2025 (FTB has not published 2026 schedules); the standard deduction is the 2026 amount. Includes the 1% behavioral health services tax over $1,000,000. Exemption credit phase-out above $252,203 AGI not modelled.

## Worked examples

1. pay = salary, salary = $52,000.00, freq = biweekly, status = single, date = 2026-03-13 gives net = $1,620.25. Source: IRS Pub 15-T 2026; California 2025 rates.
2. pay = salary, salary = $85,000.00, freq = semimonthly, status = mfj, kids = 2, k401 = 5%, health = $150.00, date = 2026-03-13 gives net = $2,886.06. Source: IRS Pub 15-T 2026; California 2025 rates.
3. pay = hourly, rate = $25.00, hours = 40, ot = 5, freq = weekly, status = hoh, kids = 1, hsa = $20.00, w4c = $10.00, date = 2026-03-13 gives net = $1,015.14. Source: IRS Pub 15-T 2026; California 2025 rates.

## FAQ

### Does California have a state income tax?

Yes: a graduated income tax from 1% to 13.3% (2025 rates, single filer brackets). The calculator takes your taxable wages for the year, subtracts the California standard deduction and exemptions, applies the brackets and credits, and spreads the tax over your paychecks.

### What payroll contributions come out of a California paycheck?

The calculator takes CA SDI at 1.3% of wages. Wages here are pay less cafeteria plan (section 125) deductions; a 401(k) does not lower them.

### Do I pay local income tax in California?

This calculator has no local income tax for California. If your city, county, or school district charges one, type its rate under “Other local income tax rate”.

### What does this California paycheck calculator leave out?

Brackets and credits are 2025 (FTB has not published 2026 schedules); the standard deduction is the 2026 amount. Includes the 1% behavioral health services tax over $1,000,000. Exemption credit phase-out above $252,203 AGI not modelled. It uses the year’s California tax spread over your paychecks, not California’s own withholding formula, and California does not follow the federal HSA rules and taxes HSA contributions (FTB Publication 1001). The page treats the HSA or FSA box as excluded, which is right for an FSA; with an HSA, the California tax is too low by the contribution times your California rate. Federal items left out: the alternative minimum tax, the premium tax credit, and education and other credits.

### Which tax year and source does the California calculator use?

California 2025 rates, from the California revenue department (listed under Sources), and the 2026 IRS withholding tables. When California publishes new rates, the page is updated. A pay date before 2026 is refused, because the page has the 2026 tables only; a later date uses the 2026 tables until new ones are added.

### How is federal income tax withholding worked out?

By IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A, the method payroll software uses. Your taxable pay is multiplied by the paychecks in a year, the Form W-4 Step 4(a) income is added, and $8,600 ($12,900 if married filing jointly) plus the Step 4(b) deductions are taken off, unless the Step 2 box is checked. The yearly amount is looked up in the 2026 percentage method table, divided by the paychecks, reduced by the Step 3 credit per paycheck, and the Step 4(c) extra amount is added.

### How much Social Security and Medicare comes out of each paycheck?

Social Security is 6.2% of wages until the year’s wages reach $184,500 (2026). Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year. Health premiums and HSA or FSA contributions through a cafeteria plan are not taxed; 401(k) contributions are. The calculator spreads the year’s amounts evenly over your paychecks.

### Why might my real paycheck differ?

Employers round each step, some use the wage bracket tables instead of the percentage method, and the calculator spreads Social Security and state tax evenly over the year. Roth and after-tax deductions, wage garnishments, and bonuses are not included. This is an estimate, not tax advice.

## Sources

- California: FTB, 2025 Form 540 booklet (rate schedules X, Y, Z, exemption credits), https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2025/2025-540-booklet.pdf; 2026 Form 540-ES instructions (2026 standard deduction), https://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms/2026/2026-540-es-instructions.pdf; EDD DE 202 (2026 SDI 1.3%, no wage limit), https://edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/pdf_pub_ctr/de202.pdf
- IRS, Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method tables. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf
- IRS, Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide: Social Security 6.2% to $184,500, Medicare 1.45%, Additional Medicare 0.9% over $200,000. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf
- IRS, Form W-4 (2026), Employee’s Withholding Certificate: $2,200 per child under 17 and $500 per other dependent in Step 3. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf