Tax year 2026 · Updated October 4, 2026

California Paycheck Calculator

California take-home pay depends on your DE 4 elections and separate State Disability Insurance deduction. Use the 2026 employer withholding tables, with distinct inputs for health benefits and HSA contributions.

California paycheck calculator

Estimates for tax year 2026. Results update as you type.

Pay type

SalaryHourly

Annual salary (gross, before taxes)

Pay frequency

Filing status (Form W-4, Step 1)

California DE 4 settings

Filing status on DE 4

DE 4 regular allowances (1a)Use Worksheet A. These allowances reduce withholding through a tax credit.

DE 4 estimated-deduction allowances (1b)Use Worksheet B. These reduce taxable wages; they are not regular allowances.

DE 4 additional withholding per paycheck

DE 4 elections are separate from your federal W-4. Without a DE 4, employers use single status and zero allowances.

W-4 details, retirement and benefits

My current federal W-4 claims exemption

Use an existing qualifying election on Form W-4. Federal income-tax withholding, including extras, becomes $0. FICA and state deductions remain separate. Eligibility is not checked.

Step 2(c) box is checked (two jobs, or spouse also works)

Step 3: dependents credit (annual $)

$2,200 per qualifying child under 17, $500 per other dependent.

Step 4(c): extra withholding per paycheck

Step 4(a): other annual income

Step 4(b): deductions beyond the standard deduction

401(k) / 403(b) contribution

Percent of gross pay, pre-tax (traditional).

Health premiums / FSA per paycheck

Section 125 items also reduce Social Security and Medicare wages.

HSA payroll contribution per paycheck

Qualified salary reductions through payroll reduce federal income-tax and FICA wages. California includes them in PIT and SDI wages.

After-tax deductions per paycheck

Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments.

Blank adjustments count as 0 unless another default is stated. Pay, hours and an active custom rate need a value; enter 0 when appropriate.

Estimated take-home pay every two weeks$1,832.19$47,636.86 per year · $3,969.74 per month

California payroll withholding. The state income-tax line uses California EDD Method B and your DE 4 elections for regular pay. The annual amount projects those paycheck estimates over a year; it does not calculate your final state tax bill.

Annual and monthly figures assume the entered pay repeats for a full year. Wage caps are averaged across those paychecks; year-to-date pay and deductions are not tracked.

Estimated tax share

20.6%

Federal marginal rate

12%

California withholding table rate

6.60%

Line	Per paycheck	Full-year projection
Gross pay	$2,307.69	$60,000.00
Pre-tax retirement	$0.00	$0.00
Health, HSA, FSA (pre-tax)	$0.00	$0.00
Federal income-tax withholding	$193.08	$5,020.00
Social Security (6.2%)	$143.08	$3,720.00
Medicare (1.45%)	$33.46	$870.00
California withholding	$75.89	$1,973.14
California SDI (State Disability Insurance)	$30.00	$780.00
After-tax deductions	$0.00	$0.00
Take-home pay	$1,832.19	$47,636.86

Estimated tax share is the displayed federal withholding, FICA, state/local tax estimate and state payroll deductions divided by gross pay. Benefit deductions are excluded from that share; it is not your final income-tax rate.

California PIT uses EDD Method B and your DE 4 elections. SDI is separate. The table rate describes withholding, not your final income-tax rate. Assumes regular wages and state SDI coverage; exempt certificates, voluntary disability plans and separately paid bonuses are not modeled.

Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T for a 2020-or-later W-4. Social Security applies to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026.

Compare a California salary offer with your paystub

Enter annual gross salary and the employer's pay frequency. Every two weeks means 26 paychecks; twice a month means 24. Benefits entered per paycheck follow that choice.
Copy the elections from your current federal W-4 and the separate state certificate fields shown in the form. A job offer's salary alone does not establish withholding.
Enter your employee retirement and health deductions, then any after-tax deductions. Compare gross pay and each deduction line with a regular paystub before relying on the net estimate.
For a proposed raise, run both annual salaries with the same elections, pay frequency and benefit settings. Percentage-based retirement deductions change with salary. Keep one-off bonuses separate from regular annual salary.

A raise starting partway through the year affects fewer paychecks. The annual result here is a full year at the entered salary; it does not combine earlier wages or predict a refund. For household withholding and amounts already paid, use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.

How California paycheck taxes work in 2026

California PIT withholding follows EDD Method B. First, the calculator checks the low-income exemption. It then subtracts estimated-deduction allowances and the standard deduction for the pay period, applies the DE 4 filing-status table, and subtracts regular allowance credits. Any additional DE 4 withholding is added afterward.

The printed deductions, credits and income bands depend on pay frequency. Married employees with zero or one regular allowance use the smaller deduction and low-income exemption, while married employees with at least two regular allowances use the larger amounts. Head of household has a separate withholding schedule.

California 2026 annual payroll withholding bands
Withholding rate	Single / dual income	Married, one income	Head of household
1.1%	$0 – $11,079	$0 – $22,158	$0 – $22,173
2.2%	$11,079 – $26,264	$22,158 – $52,528	$22,173 – $52,530
4.4%	$26,264 – $41,452	$52,528 – $82,904	$52,530 – $67,716
6.6%	$41,452 – $57,542	$82,904 – $115,084	$67,716 – $83,805
8.8%	$57,542 – $72,724	$115,084 – $145,448	$83,805 – $98,990
10.23%	$72,724 – $371,479	$145,448 – $742,958	$98,990 – $505,208
11.33%	$371,479 – $445,771	$742,958 – $891,542	$505,208 – $606,251
12.43%	$445,771 – $742,953	$891,542 – $1,000,000	$606,251 – $1,000,000
13.53%	$742,953 – $1,000,000	$1,000,000 – $1,485,906	$1,000,000 – $1,010,417
14.63%	Over $1,000,000	Over $1,485,906	Over $1,010,417

These are the annual payroll schedules from EDD Method B, before allowance credits. The calculator uses the printed table for your selected pay frequency, including its rounded bands and deductions. Withholding rates differ from annual tax-return rates.

How the DE 4 allowances change withholding

Keep the two allowance counts separate. Regular allowances on line 1a come from Worksheet A and reduce withholding through a credit. Estimated-deduction allowances on line 1b come from Worksheet B and reduce the wages used to calculate tax. Enter the additional dollar amount on DE 4 line 2 separately.

The federal W-4 does not replace the DE 4. If your employer has no completed DE 4, the EDD directs them to use single status with zero allowances. If your spouse works or you have multiple jobs, use the DE 4 instructions to choose the appropriate election.

Examples from the EDD guide

These examples assume wages subject to California PIT. They show state income-tax withholding only; federal taxes and SDI are separate.

2026 Method B worked examples A–D
Wages and DE 4 election	Regular allowances	Estimated-deduction allowances	PIT withheld
$210 weekly, single	1	0	$0.00
$1,600 biweekly, married	2	1	$2.38
$5,100 monthly, married	5	0	$0.82
$950 weekly, head of household	3	0	$1.69

State payroll deductions

Beyond income tax, California employees pay into state programs that appear as separate lines on a pay stub: California SDI (State Disability Insurance) at 1.3% of all wages. These are included in the estimate.

Good to know. California regular-pay withholding uses EDD Method B with the printed payroll-period tables, your DE 4 filing status, regular allowances and estimated-deduction allowances. Additional DE 4 withholding is added separately. This is withholding, not a tax-return estimate. Qualifying health-plan and FSA salary reductions are excluded from PIT and SDI wages. HSA salary reductions remain taxable for California PIT and SDI, so enter them separately. Traditional retirement deferrals reduce PIT wages but generally remain subject to SDI. Special cafeteria-plan retirement arrangements and nonstandard benefit exclusions are not modeled. Assumes California PIT and state SDI coverage apply. Exempt certificates, military/nonresident exceptions, voluntary disability plans, and separately paid bonuses or stock awards require different payroll treatment.

Worked example: $60,000 salary in California

A single filer earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with a standard W-4 and no pre-tax deductions, single DE 4 status, zero regular or estimated-deduction allowances and no extra state withholding, sees this estimate for each paycheck in 2026. These numbers are produced by the same engine as the calculator above, so they never drift from the tool.

Example bi-weekly paycheck breakdown in California
Gross pay	$2,307.69
Federal income-tax withholding	$193.08
Social Security	$143.08
Medicare	$33.46
California withholding	$75.89
California SDI (State Disability Insurance)	$30.00
Take-home pay per paycheck	$1,832.19
Full-year take-home projection	$47,636.86
Estimated tax share of gross pay	20.6%

Comparing a raise or new offer? Use the pay raise calculator to find the percentage change and its federal-only paycheck effect, then compare both salaries above with your California elections and deductions.

Federal taxes on every paycheck in 2026

Federal income tax withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T: your pay is annualised, adjusted for the entries on your Form W-4, reduced by the standard deduction built into the withholding tables ($16,100 single, $32,200 joint, $24,150 head of household), and run through the 2026 rate schedule below. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500; Medicare is 1.45% of all wages plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000.

2026 federal income tax brackets by filing status
Rate	Single	Married filing jointly	Head of household
10%	$0 – $12,400	$0 – $24,800	$0 – $17,700
12%	$12,400 – $50,400	$24,800 – $100,800	$17,700 – $67,450
22%	$50,400 – $105,700	$100,800 – $211,400	$67,450 – $105,700
24%	$105,700 – $201,775	$211,400 – $403,550	$105,700 – $201,775
32%	$201,775 – $256,225	$403,550 – $512,450	$201,775 – $256,200
35%	$256,225 – $640,600	$512,450 – $768,700	$256,200 – $640,600
37%	over $640,600	over $768,700	over $640,600

Frequently asked questions

Does California have state income tax?

Yes. Employers withhold California personal income tax using your DE 4 elections. The calculator uses the EDD 2026 employer tables. State Disability Insurance is a separate employee deduction.

How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in California?

For a single filer paid $1,000 a week with no pre-tax deductions, single DE 4 status, zero regular or estimated-deduction allowances and no extra state withholding, this 2026 calculator estimates $195.33 in tax and state-program deductions: $78.08 federal withholding, $62.00 Social Security, $14.50 Medicare, $27.75 California withholding and $13.00 in state programs, leaving estimated take-home pay of $804.67. This assumes the same pay and elections throughout the year.

Which California tax rates does this paycheck calculator use?

It uses the EDD 2026 Method B withholding tables for your pay frequency and DE 4 status. These payroll rates range from 1.1% to 14.63%, before allowance credits, and differ from tax-return rates. Withholding is a payment toward your annual tax bill; this calculator does not prepare your California return.

Are DE 4 allowances the same as federal W-4 dependents?

No. Enter regular allowances from DE 4 line 1a and estimated-deduction allowances from line 1b separately. Regular allowances provide a withholding credit, while estimated-deduction allowances reduce wages used in the calculation. Neither is the annual dollar credit entered on the federal W-4.

Do HSA contributions reduce California paycheck taxes?

Qualified HSA salary reductions through payroll reduce federal income-tax and FICA wages, but California includes them in PIT and SDI wages. Use the separate HSA input. Qualifying health premiums and FSA salary reductions have different California treatment.

Are 401(k) contributions taxed in California?

Qualifying traditional 401(k), 403(b) and similar pre-tax retirement contributions reduce federal and California income-tax wages in this estimate. Social Security and Medicare still apply to those contributions; any local-tax or state-program wage rules are separate.

How do I calculate my hourly take-home pay in California?

Switch the calculator to Hourly, enter your rate, hours per week and any overtime, and choose how often you are paid. The California hourly paycheck calculator opens with those settings and shows the same federal, FICA and state breakdown.

Why is my actual paycheck different from this estimate?

The state income-tax line uses California EDD Method B and your DE 4 elections for regular pay. The annual amount projects those paycheck estimates over a year; it does not calculate your final state tax bill. The estimate assumes steady regular pay and the elections and deductions you enter. Employer rounding, variable pay, year-to-date wage caps, benefit coverage and local-tax rules can produce different deductions. Compare gross pay and each deduction line with your paystub before using the net figure for budgeting. It does not predict a refund or balance due.

Paycheck calculators for other states

Sources and updates

Figures are for tax year 2026 and were checked against the sources below on September 5, 2026. Tax rules and rates can change. Each calculator identifies the method and limitations used.

This calculator gives estimates for information only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Your employer's payroll system, local taxes, benefits and year-to-date wages can change the exact amounts on your pay stub. See how we calculate.