California Paycheck Calculator
California has the highest top marginal income tax rate in the country, 13.3% (a 12.3% top bracket plus a 1% Mental Health Services Tax surcharge on income over $1,000,000). It also requires State Disability Insurance (SDI) withholding, a separate payroll deduction this calculator doesn't model.
How the calculation works
Starts from your annual gross pay (your salary as entered, or your hourly wage × hours per week × 52 weeks), then splits it into your chosen pay frequency. Your 401(k)/403(b) contribution and HSA/health insurance premiums are subtracted before federal income tax is calculated, since both are pre-tax; HSA and health insurance also reduce the wages Social Security and Medicare tax apply to, but a traditional 401(k) contribution does not, that's real IRS payroll-tax treatment, not a simplification. Federal tax uses the 2026 standard deduction and brackets for your filing status. Selecting a supported state adds an estimated state income tax on top, using that state's own published brackets or flat rate. This is a standard-deduction estimate: it doesn't replicate your employer's exact W-4-based withholding tables, and states without a dedicated entry here, or local/city taxes, aren't included yet.
Formula
Gross Pay → subtract pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, health insurance) → Taxable Wages → subtract Federal Tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%, + 0.9% above the Additional Medicare Tax threshold) → Net Pay.
Examples
$75,000 salary, biweekly, single, no pre-tax deductions
$2,368.94 net pay per paycheck ($61,592.50 net pay per year)
$95,000 salary, biweekly, married filing jointly, 6% 401(k) + $200/period HSA & health insurance
$2,749.93 net pay per paycheck ($71,498.30 net pay per year)
$32/hour, 40 hours/week, weekly pay, single, 3% 401(k)
$1,036.61 net pay per paycheck ($53,903.78 net pay per year)
$75,000 salary, biweekly, single, California, no pre-tax deductions
$2,237.65 net pay per paycheck ($131.29 of that paycheck's tax is California state tax)