PaycheckState

California Paycheck Calculator

Updated for the 2026 tax year · Uses the EDD 2026 Method B schedules and the 2026 SDI rate of 1.3% with no wage ceiling.

Quick answer

How much is take-home pay on $60,000 in California?

A single filer earning $60,000 in California takes home about $1,838.71 per biweekly paycheck in 2026, or $47,806.44 a year. That is an effective tax rate of 20.3% across federal, FICA, and state withholdings.

SalaryTake-home (year)Effective rate
$40,000$33,159.0217.1%
$60,000$47,806.4420.3%
$80,000$60,555.4624.3%
$100,000$72,319.4827.7%

Single filer, paid biweekly, standard federal W-4, 1 state allowance, no pre-tax deductions.

California withholds 1.1% to 14.63% of 2026 wages under the EDD's Method B schedules, after a $5,706 standard deduction for single filers and minus a $168.30 credit per allowance. State Disability Insurance takes another 1.3% of every dollar, with no wage ceiling. Figures follow IRS Publication 15-T and the EDD 2026 Withholding Schedules Method B (DE 44).

How California paycheck taxes work

Five lines come out of a California paycheck: federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500), Medicare (1.45%), California income tax, and State Disability Insurance (SDI), which also funds Paid Family Leave. California has no local income taxes on employees, so anything else on your stub, such as 401(k) contributions or health premiums, is your own election. Pre-tax 401(k) deductions lower the wages the state income tax formula starts from.

Method B starts with a low-income test: no state income tax is withheld on annualized wages under $18,896 for single filers or $37,791 for married filers and heads of household. Above that, your employer subtracts the standard deduction ($5,706 single, $11,412 married or head of household), applies the schedule for your DE 4 status, and subtracts $168.30 for each regular allowance. Single rates run from 1.1% on the first $11,079 to 14.63% above $1,000,000, which includes the 1% mental health surcharge.

SDI is 1.3% of all wages in 2026, up from 1.2% in 2025, and has had no wage ceiling since 2024, so it applies at every salary level. The calculator figures it on gross pay less Section 125 benefits such as pre-tax health premiums. California has no city or county income tax on wages and no reciprocity agreements with other states, so there is no local field to fill in for California.

Bonuses and stock options are withheld at a flat 10.23%, the rate this site's bonus calculator uses for California; other supplemental pay is withheld at 6.6%. For 2026 the EDD raised the low-income exemption from $18,368 to $18,896, the single standard deduction from $5,540 to $5,706, and the allowance credit from $163.90 to $168.30, and indexed the brackets. Married filing jointly here uses the married column for two or more allowances; DE 4 estimated-deduction allowances are not modeled.

California tax rates (2026)

California withholding on annualized wages after the adjustments below.

Standard deduction$5,706 single · $11,412 married jointly · $11,412 head of household
Exemption credit$168 each, off the tax
Low-income ruleNo withholding under $18,896 a year (single) or $37,791 (married, head of household)
California SDI (disability and paid family leave)1.3%, no cap
Taxable wagesWithholding
$0 – $11,0791.10%
$11,079 – $26,264$121.87 + 2.20% of excess over $11,079
$26,264 – $41,452$455.94 + 4.40% of excess over $26,264
$41,452 – $57,542$1,124.21 + 6.60% of excess over $41,452
$57,542 – $72,724$2,186.15 + 8.80% of excess over $57,542
$72,724 – $371,479$3,522.17 + 10.23% of excess over $72,724
$371,479 – $445,771$34,084.81 + 11.33% of excess over $371,479
$445,771 – $742,953$42,502.09 + 12.43% of excess over $445,771
$742,953 – $1,000,000$79,441.81 + 13.53% of excess over $742,953
Over $1,000,000$114,220.27 + 14.63% of excess over $1,000,000

Example: $60,000 in California

Single filer, paid biweekly, standard federal W-4, 1 state allowance, no pre-tax deductions.

Per paycheckPer year
Gross pay$2,307.69$60,000.00
Federal income tax$193.08$5,020.08
Social Security$143.08$3,720.00
Medicare$33.46$870.00
California income tax$69.36$1,803.48
California SDI (disability and paid family leave)$30.00$780.00
Take-home pay$1,838.71$47,806.44

California paycheck FAQ

How much is taken out of a paycheck in California?

Federal income tax, Social Security at 6.2%, Medicare at 1.45%, SDI at 1.3% of all wages, and California withholding of 1.1% to 14.63% after a $5,706 standard deduction (single) and a $168.30 credit per DE 4 allowance. There is no local income tax. The quick answer above shows a single filer on $60,000 paid biweekly, and the calculator recomputes it for your pay, status, and allowances.

What is the California SDI rate for 2026?

1.3% of wages, up from 1.2% in 2025. SDI funds both State Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave, and it has had no wage ceiling since 2024, so it keeps applying to every dollar at any salary. It is a separate line from California income tax on your stub. The calculator applies it to gross pay less Section 125 benefits such as pre-tax health premiums.

How are bonuses taxed in California?

California withholds 10.23% on bonuses and stock options when they are paid as supplemental wages, and 6.6% on other supplemental pay. SDI at 1.3% also applies to the bonus. This site's bonus calculator uses the 10.23% rate for California alongside federal supplemental withholding, Social Security, and Medicare.

What changed in California paycheck withholding for 2026?

The EDD indexed its 2026 Method B figures: the low-income exemption rose from $18,368 to $18,896 for single filers, the single standard deduction from $5,540 to $5,706, and the per-allowance credit from $163.90 to $168.30, with brackets adjusted to match. SDI rose from 1.2% to 1.3% of all wages. This calculator uses the 2026 schedules from EDD publication DE 44.

When is no California income tax withheld from my paycheck?

When your annualized wages fall under the Method B low-income exemption: $18,896 for single filers and $37,791 for married filers and heads of household in 2026. Below that level no California income tax is withheld, though SDI at 1.3% still comes out. Above it, the standard deduction, rate schedule, and $168.30 allowance credit apply to all of your wages.

What happens if I don't file a California DE 4?

Your employer withholds California income tax as if you were single with zero allowances, which means no $168.30 allowance credit. Federal withholding follows your federal W-4 separately. To match that default in this calculator, choose single and set California exemptions to 0. Filing a DE 4 lets you claim allowances and a married or head of household status.

Sources

Rates verified against these documents on September 14, 2026.

  1. California EDD, 2026 Withholding Schedules Method B (26methb.pdf) and DE 44 Rev. 52
  2. California EDD, rates and withholding (SDI 1.3%, no wage ceiling)
  3. Form DE 4 (Rev. 56)

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