California paycheck calculator
Net pay per check, annual take-home, effective rate, and every deduction behind them — worked out in this tab with the 2026 rates listed below.
2026 rates used on this page
Every figure below was read from the publishing agency's own page on 28 October 2026. Nothing here comes from memory or from a third-party summary. Where an agency has not published a 2026 figure, that is stated rather than filled in.
| Figure | Value | Source | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal brackets, all four filing statuses | 10% – 37% | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, §4.01 | Tax year 2026 |
| Federal standard deduction | $16,100 / $32,200 / $16,100 / $24,150 | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, §4.14 | Tax year 2026 |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 | IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), 2026 | 2026 edition, 15 Dec 2025 |
| Additional Medicare tax | 0.9% over $200,000 | IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), 2026 | 2026 edition |
| California PIT brackets | 1.1% – 14.63% | EDD, 2026 Withholding Schedules — Method B, Tables 5–7 | Calendar year 2026 |
| California standard deduction | $5,706 / $11,412 | EDD, 2026 Withholding Schedules — Method B, Table 3 | Calendar year 2026 |
| California exemption credit | $168.30 per allowance | EDD, 2026 Withholding Schedules — Method B, Table 4 | Calendar year 2026 |
| California SDI | 1.3%, no wage ceiling | EDD, Contribution Rates and Withholding | Calendar year 2026 |
| Tips deduction | $25,000 cap; −$100 per $1,000 over $150,000 MAGI | IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Part II | Tax years 2025–2028 |
| Overtime deduction | $12,500 cap ($25,000 joint); same phase-out | IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Part III | Tax years 2025–2028 |
How the numbers are calculated
- Gross annual pay. Salary is taken as entered. Hourly pay is rate × regular hours × 52, plus rate × 1.5 × overtime hours × 52.
- Federal taxable wages. Gross minus 401(k), HSA, health premium and other pre-tax. Post-tax deductions are not subtracted here.
- Federal income tax. Taxable wages plus W-4 step 4a, minus step 4b, minus the standard deduction for your status, then run through the 2026 bracket table. Step 3 is subtracted as a credit, step 4c added as extra withholding.
- FICA. Social Security at 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base, Medicare at 1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% above $200,000. 401(k) does not reduce these; a Section 125 health premium does.
- California income tax. Gross minus pre-tax items California accepts — 401(k) and health premium yes, HSA no, because California does not conform to federal HSA rules — minus the CA standard deduction, run through the 2026 CA table, minus $168.30 per DE 4 allowance.
- SDI. 1.3% of gross wages. There has been no wage ceiling since 1 January 2024.
- Net. Gross minus pre-tax minus every tax minus post-tax, divided by the number of pay periods — 26 for a biweekly schedule, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly.
What this page deliberately does not do
No account, no saved history, no batch mode, no multiple employees. One person, one calculation, everything in the browser. The page has no server, so nothing you type is transmitted anywhere — you can disconnect the network after it loads and it will still calculate.
It also does not model itemised deductions, credits other than the W-4 dependent credit, local taxes (California has no local income tax), or mid-year changes. If your situation includes any of those, treat the result as a starting point and check it against the official tables.
California paycheck calculator: common questions
Is this California paycheck calculator free?
Yes. No sign-up, no limit on how many times you run it, no watermark on the result you copy.
How is this different from a generic paycheck calculator California page?
Every rate is dated and sourced on the page, including the two new federal deductions for tips and overtime that most calculators do not model yet. The California brackets come from the state's own 2026 withholding schedule rather than a prior year, and the one figure we could not source — FTB's own 2026 schedule — is called out instead of being quietly substituted.
Why is California SDI uncapped?
Senate Bill 951 removed the taxable wage limit and the maximum withholding from 1 January 2024. EDD's 2026 rate page states the rate is 1.3% and that all wages are subject to SDI contributions.
Does the tips deduction change my withholding?
No. It is claimed on your return through Schedule 1-A, not applied by your employer. This page subtracts it from federal taxable income so you can see the size of the effect, and says so where you enter it.
Can I use this as a CA paycheck calculator for hourly work?
Yes — switch to Hourly and enter your rate, regular hours and overtime hours. Overtime is paid at 1.5×, and the half-time premium is what counts toward the federal overtime deduction.
What payroll taxes come out of a California paycheck?
Three federal lines and two state lines: federal income tax withheld, Social Security at 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base, Medicare at 1.45% plus the extra 0.9% above $200,000, California income tax withheld under the EDD tables, and SDI at 1.3% with no wage ceiling. Everything else in the breakdown is a deduction you entered, not a tax.
Why does my real paycheck differ from this number?
Three usual reasons: your employer uses the percentage method rather than an annualised calculation, your W-4 or DE 4 on file differs from what you entered here, or the pay period includes a bonus, commission or a mid-year change. The gap is normally a few dollars, not a few hundred.