California Paycheck Calculator 2026

A California paycheck passes through two sets of hands before it becomes take-home pay. Washington takes federal income tax based on your W-4, Social Security at 6.2% on wages up to the $184,500 base, and Medicare at 1.45% on every dollar. Sacramento then takes a progressive state income tax that tops out at 13.3% for the highest earners, plus State Disability Insurance at 1.3% of wages, the line that also funds California's Paid Family Leave benefit.

The SDI deduction is the one most new arrivals don't expect, because few states withhold for short-term disability at all. At 1.3% it is modest on a single check but adds up over a year, and it buys partial pay when illness or a new baby keeps you home. Because withholding is calculated on taxable wages, pre-tax moves change the result: routing money into a traditional 401(k), up to the $24,500 deferral limit, lowers both the federal and state income tax taken out, though it never touches Social Security, Medicare, or SDI.

On a $60,000 salary, California's graduated income tax, topping out at 13.3%, costs up to roughly $7,980 a year before deductions — on top of $4,590 in federal FICA, which is the same in every state. 41 of the 42 states that tax income charge less than California at the top rate.

The state minimum wage is $16.90/hr , above the federal $7.25 floor — about $35,152 a year at 40 hours a week. California also withholds for state disability insurance and paid family leave, which most states do not. Local jurisdictions add their own layer on top — see the note below.