2026 California paycheck calculator
California withholds on its own schedules with a 1.1 to 14.63 percent range, and takes 1.3 percent for disability.
Updated for 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026 against IRS and California Employment Development Department sourcesHow we check
Your take-home pay
$1,246.61
per paycheck, paid every two weeks
- Gross pay
- $1,500.00
- Federal income tax
- $96.15
- Social Security
- $93.00
- Medicare
- $21.75
- County tax
- Choose your county
- California SDI
- $19.50
- Take-home
- $1,246.61
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Take-home pay $1,246.61
California pay rules at a glance
| State income tax | Rates rise with pay Source |
| County or local tax | None Source |
| Disability or paid leave | California State Disability Insurance (SDI): 1.3% of pay, no cap Source |
| Minimum wage | $16.90 an hour. From Jan 1, 2027: $17.40 an hour Source |
| Tipped minimum cash wage | $16.90 an hour, before tips Source |
| Final paycheck if you are let go | Immediately, at the time of discharge or layoff. Source |
| Final paycheck if you quit | At the time of quitting if the worker gave at least 72 hours' notice; otherwise within 72 hours of quitting. Source |
What comes out of a California paycheck
On $1,500 every two weeks, single, a California worker keeps $1,246.61.
California taxes income at graduated rates, and employers withhold it using the state's own 2026 schedules from the Employment Development Department's employer guide. The schedule rates run from 1.1 percent on the lowest bracket to 14.63 percent on the highest. They are higher than the rates on the tax return, because withholding is built to come close to the year's tax.
The method works one pay period at a time, with no annualizing. Form DE 4 sets your status, which can be single or married with two or more incomes, married with one income, or head of household. Regular allowances follow, counted as one for you, one for a spouse, and one for each dependent. Each allowance raises a credit in the tables, for example $3.24 a week. A married worker with two or more allowances moves to a different column, but dependents do not change the head of household tables, only the credit.
The calculator assumes no estimated-deduction allowances, no extra withholding, and no exemption claim.
County and local taxes
California's Revenue and Taxation Code, section 17041.5, keeps every city, county, and other local government out of income taxation, for residents and nonresidents alike. The one exception is a tax measured by a business's gross receipts, which is the employer's bill and not yours.
A California stub therefore shows state income tax, State Disability Insurance, and nothing local. The result needs no local amount added.
Disability and paid leave
California State Disability Insurance takes 1.3 percent of your wages in 2026. Since January 1, 2024 all wages are subject to it, so there is no wage cap and the deduction continues on every paycheck all year. It is paid by the worker alone. The program gives partial pay when you cannot work because of illness, injury, or pregnancy, and it also covers time off to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new child.
Final pay and the minimum wage
Californians earn at least $16.90 an hour in 2026, and the floor moves to $17.40 on January 1, 2027. The tipped cash wage is $16.90 as well, so tips come on top of the full rate.
If you are fired or laid off, your final pay is due immediately, at the time of discharge. If you quit, it is due at the time you quit if you gave at least 72 hours' notice. Without that notice, your employer has 72 hours from the time you quit.
Nearby states
Sources and checks
Checked on Oct 29, 2026. Source: Employment Development Department, "California Employer's Guide 2026" (DE 44 Rev. 52 (4-26)), "California Withholding Schedules for 2026," Method B, Tax Rate Tables 5 to 28 (edd.ca.gov/siteassets/files/pdf_pub_ctr/de44.pdf, fetched and read Oct 29, 2026; pages used saved as a text extract).
Local taxes: California Revenue and Taxation Code section 17041.5 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, fetched and read Oct 29, 2026): no city, county, or other local government may levy a tax on the income of residents or nonresidents, apart from taxes measured by gross receipts of a business.
Disability and paid leave: Employment Development Department, "Tax Rates, Wage Limits, and Value of Meals and Lodging" (edd.ca.gov/en/payroll_taxes/rates_and_withholding/, fetched and read Oct 29, 2026): "The SDI withholding rate for 2026 is 1.3 percent. Effective January 1, 2024, all wages are subject to SDI contributions."
Minimum wage: California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner's Office, "Minimum Wage" FAQ (www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm, fetched Oct 29, 2026): $16.90 an hour for all employers from January 1, 2026; DIR News Release 2026-66 (dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2026/2026-66.html, fetched Oct 29, 2026): $17.40 an hour from January 1, 2027. Many cities and counties set higher local minimums, and some industries (fast food, health care) have their own rates. Tipped workers: California allows no tip credit, so the tipped minimum equals the minimum wage.
Final paycheck: California Labor Code sections 201 and 202, as explained by the Labor Commissioner's Office, "Paydays, Pay Periods, and the Final Payment" FAQ (www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_paydays.htm, fetched and read Oct 29, 2026).
Federal withholding: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A and its "2026 Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems and Withholding on Periodic Payments of Pensions and Annuities," pages 10 to 12. Fetched directly from irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf and transcribed Oct 28, 2026.
Every figure above comes from the sources listed here. How we check our numbers.
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