Free — Updated for 2026 California EDD Withholding Schedules
California Paycheck Calculator — Free Take-Home Pay Estimator
Use our free California Paycheck Calculator to see exactly how much you take home after federal tax, California’s progressive state income tax (1%–13.3%), State Disability Insurance (SDI 1.3%), Social Security, and Medicare. Enter your salary or hourly rate, DE 4 filing status, and pay frequency for an instant breakdown — built on California EDD’s official 2026 withholding schedules.
Need other tools first? Visit USA Pay Calculator, our Salary Calculator, Paycheck Calculator, or Overtime Calculator. Compare California against every other state at our Paycheck Calculator by State.
California Paycheck Calculator
Enter your pay details to see your California take-home pay instantly.
Enter your pay details on the left to get started.
How the California Paycheck Calculator Works
Get your full California take-home pay breakdown in five simple steps.
Enter your pay
Type your annual salary, or switch to hourly and enter your rate and weekly hours. Hourly pay is annualized automatically for accurate bracket calculation.
Choose DE 4 status
Select your California DE 4 filing status. Dual-income couples should use "Single / Married with two incomes" — not "Married" — to avoid under-withholding.
Add dependents
Enter the number of dependents for the California exemption credit. Each dependent reduces your CA tax by $433 directly — a credit, not just a deduction.
Set pay frequency
Choose weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly to match your employer's pay schedule for an accurate per-paycheck figure.
See your breakdown
Instantly view federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, California PIT, CA SDI (1.3%), net annual and monthly pay, and your effective total tax rate.
California Income Tax Brackets & Key Figures for 2026
California has nine progressive income tax brackets for 2026, ranging from 1% to 12.3%, with an additional 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1 million — making the top rate 13.3%, the highest state income tax rate in the United States. Source: California EDD 2026 Withholding Schedules, Method B.
| Taxable Income (after CA standard deduction) | Tax Rate | Tax Owed on Bracket |
|---|
| 2026 California Key Withholding Figures | Amount |
|---|---|
| CA standard deduction — Single / HoH | $5,540 |
| CA standard deduction — Married (MFJ) | $11,080 |
| Personal exemption credit — Single / HoH | $144 |
| Personal exemption credit — Married MFJ | $288 |
| Dependent exemption credit (per dependent) | $433 each |
| Low income withholding exemption — Single | $18,368 |
| Low income withholding exemption — Married | $36,736 |
| California SDI & Other Payroll Taxes 2026 | Rate |
|---|---|
| State Disability Insurance (SDI) — employee | 1.3% (no cap) |
| SDI covers Paid Family Leave (PFL)? | Yes — same deduction |
| Local / city income tax? | None |
| CA supplemental wage withholding rate | 6.6% |
| Bonus / stock option withholding | 10.23% |
| Social Security benefits taxable in CA? | No — fully exempt |
| Top marginal PIT rate (income over $1M) | 13.3% |
Source: California Employment Development Department (EDD), 2026 Withholding Schedules Method B; California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Brackets are annualized withholding figures and may differ slightly from FTB filing-year brackets used at tax time. Always verify at edd.ca.gov and ftb.ca.gov.
Understanding California Payroll Taxes
California State Income Tax (PIT)
California's Personal Income Tax uses nine progressive brackets in 2026, starting at 1% on the first $10,756 of taxable income and reaching 12.3% on income above $721,314 (single). An additional 1% Mental Health Services Tax applies above $1,000,000, making the top marginal rate 13.3% — the highest state income tax rate in the U.S.
Taxable income for withholding is calculated from annualized wages minus California's own standard deduction ($5,540 single, $11,080 married) — which is far lower than the federal standard deduction, meaning California taxes more of your income at the state level than the federal system would suggest.
California SDI — What It Is and Why It's on Your Stub
California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a mandatory employee-paid program that funds two benefits: short-term Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL). Starting January 1, 2024, California Senate Bill 951 removed the SDI wage cap — so in 2026, the 1.3% rate applies to every dollar you earn, with no limit. At $150,000, that's $1,950 per year in SDI alone.
SDI is not income tax — it's a separate line on your pay stub, labeled "CASDI." Even though it functions like a flat tax, it funds insurance benefits, not general government operations. You may see it as "SDI," "CASDI," or "VPDI" (if your employer uses a private plan) on your pay stub.
The CA DE 4 Form vs. Federal W-4
California requires employees to submit both a federal W-4 and California's own DE 4 (Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate) to set state withholding. Unlike the federal W-4 (which hasn't used allowances since 2020), the California DE 4 still uses an allowance-based system for estimated deductions. If an employee doesn't submit a DE 4, employers must withhold as if they are single with zero allowances — typically over-withholding for most workers.
Key DE 4 tip: dual-income married couples should both mark "Single or Married (with two or more incomes)" on their DE 4 to prevent significant year-end under-withholding.
Federal Tax & FICA in California
On top of California's state obligations, all employees pay federal income tax (10%–37% in 2026 progressive brackets), Social Security at 6.2% on wages up to $176,100, and Medicare at 1.45% with no cap. These are identical in every state — only the state layer changes. California does not tax Social Security benefits at the state level. See EDD's official guidance for the complete California withholding picture.
No Local Income Tax in California
Despite California's high state income tax, there is no city or county income tax anywhere in the state. Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento — none of California's cities charge local income tax on employee wages. This is different from states like New York (where New York City residents pay an additional city income tax) or Ohio (where 600+ municipalities levy local taxes). California's only employee-side local charge is the San Francisco Gross Receipts Tax — but that applies to employers, not employees.
California Paid Family Leave (PFL) — Covered by SDI
California's Paid Family Leave program allows employees to take up to 8 weeks of partially paid leave to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member. PFL is funded entirely through the SDI deduction — there is no separate PFL line on your paycheck. Workers earning less than 70% of the state average weekly wage receive a 90% wage replacement rate; higher earners receive 70%, up from 60% in prior years. The maximum weekly PFL benefit for 2026 is $1,765.
💡 How much less do you take home in California vs. Texas on the same salary?
On a $100,000 salary, a single California worker in 2026 pays roughly $7,200–$8,000 in state income tax and an additional $1,300 in SDI — totaling about $8,500–$9,300 in California-specific deductions. A Texas worker on the same salary pays zero state income tax and zero SDI. That's a take-home pay difference of approximately $700–$775 per month on an identical salary, purely from state-level taxes. Use our Paycheck Calculator by State to run any two states side by side, or our Salary Calculator to convert your hourly rate to annual first.
California Paycheck Calculator — Frequently Asked Questions
California paychecks have five main deductions: federal income tax (10%–37% depending on income and filing status), Social Security (6.2% on wages up to $176,100), Medicare (1.45% with no cap), California state income tax (1%–13.3% progressive brackets), and California SDI at 1.3% on all wages. For a single filer earning $75,000, the total effective withholding rate is typically around 27%–30%, meaning roughly $21,000–$22,500 in total annual deductions. Use our California Paycheck Calculator for your exact figure.
California SDI (State Disability Insurance) is a mandatory employee-paid payroll tax that funds both short-term disability benefits and Paid Family Leave (PFL). For 2026, the rate is 1.3% of all wages with no cap — meaning there is no income limit where SDI stops being withheld, as of SB 951 (effective January 1, 2024). On a $100,000 salary, that's $1,300 per year in SDI. It appears on your pay stub as "CASDI" and is separate from California income tax.
California has nine progressive income tax brackets for 2026: 1% on the first $10,756 of taxable income, rising through 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 9.3%, 10.3%, 11.3%, and 12.3% on income above $721,314 (single filers). An additional 1% Mental Health Services Tax applies to taxable income over $1,000,000, bringing the top marginal rate to 13.3% — the highest state income tax rate in the country. Married brackets have approximately double the thresholds.
The DE 4 is California's Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate — the state equivalent of a federal W-4, required by the California EDD. Unlike the current federal W-4 (which eliminated allowances in 2020), California's DE 4 still uses an allowance system. New employees must complete both a federal W-4 and a California DE 4. If no DE 4 is on file, employers must withhold as if the employee is single with zero allowances. Dual-income married couples should each mark "Single or Married (with two or more incomes)" on their DE 4 to avoid under-withholding.
No. California has no city or county income tax on employee wages anywhere in the state — not in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, or any other California city. This is unlike New York (where NYC residents pay an additional city income tax) or Ohio (which has 600+ city income taxes). The only payroll deductions California employees face are the state income tax (PIT) and SDI — both administered by the EDD.
On a $100,000 annual salary as a single filer with no dependents in California, your estimated 2026 take-home pay is approximately $70,500–$72,000 annually, or about $2,710–$2,770 biweekly. Key deductions include federal tax (~$11,449), Social Security ($6,200), Medicare ($1,450), California PIT (~$7,500–$8,000 after standard deduction and exemption credit), and SDI ($1,300). Use our California Paycheck Calculator above for your exact number based on your filing status and pay frequency.
No. California does not tax Social Security benefits at the state level — they are fully exempt from California income tax. This is one of California's few retiree-friendly tax features. However, California does fully tax 401(k) and IRA distributions, pensions, and most other retirement income at regular state income tax rates, which can make California a high-tax state for retirees compared to Florida, Texas, or Nevada.
We offer a general Paycheck Calculator, a Salary Calculator to convert hourly to annual pay, an Overtime Calculator for time-and-a-half earnings, a 401(k) Calculator for retirement projections, and state-specific paycheck calculators for all 50 states. Compare California against any other state at our Paycheck Calculator by State — or visit USA Pay Calculator to see all free tools.