Hourly pay after taxes in California
$20 an hour in California comes to $1,321.26 every two weeks after taxes, for a single person working full time.
Updated for 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026 against IRS and California Employment Development Department sourcesHow we check
Take-home pay by hourly wage, 2026
| Wage | Two weeks | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $16.90 | $1,136.13 | $2,462 | $29,539 |
| $18.00 | $1,201.82 | $2,604 | $31,247 |
| $20.00 | $1,321.26 | $2,863 | $34,353 |
| $22.00 | $1,440.70 | $3,122 | $37,458 |
| $25.00 | $1,615.74 | $3,501 | $42,009 |
| $30.00 | $1,905.54 | $4,129 | $49,544 |
| $35.00 | $2,163.03 | $4,687 | $56,239 |
| $40.00 | $2,401.42 | $5,203 | $62,437 |
| $50.00 | $2,871.98 | $6,223 | $74,671 |
Every column after the wage is take-home pay. Each row assumes 40 hours a week all year, one paycheck every two weeks, single, no dependents, and no benefits taken out. The monthly and yearly columns are that paycheck times 26. Use the paycheck calculator for your own hours and deductions.
What comes out of an hourly paycheck
At $25 an hour, a two-week paycheck starts at $2,000.00 and ends at $1,615.74.
| Federal income tax | $156.15 |
| Social Security | $124.00 |
| Medicare | $29.00 |
| California income tax | $49.11 |
| California State Disability Insurance (SDI) | $26.00 |
Five things leave a California hourly paycheck before it reaches you. Federal income tax and the state's income tax both rise faster than your pay, so a raise keeps a little less of each new dollar than the last one did. Social Security and Medicare stay flat at the same share of your wages. State Disability Insurance is flat too, and because it has no wage cap, it comes out of every check all year.
That is why the gap between gross and take-home widens as you move down the table. Nothing is added for a city or county, since local governments in California cannot tax wages.
What changes your number
Hours matter more than anything else here. At $20 an hour and 30 hours a week instead of 40, a two-week paycheck comes to $1,022.02.
These figures describe withholding, which is the money taken from each check. Your tax return settles the real bill for the year, so a refund or a small balance due is normal. A second job or a working spouse usually means the withholding here runs a little low, while a large credit can mean it runs high.
Anything taken out before tax lowers these numbers less than you might expect. A dollar put into a traditional 401(k) leaves your check, but the income tax on that dollar goes away with it, so your take-home falls by less than a dollar. Health premiums work much the same way when your employer takes them before tax.
Overtime and tips raise the check, so add them to your pay in the paycheck calculator to see the new figure. Filing as married or claiming dependents changes the withholding as well, and the calculator handles both.
The minimum wage in California
California's minimum wage is $16.90 an hour, and a full-time worker at that rate takes home about $2,462 a month. It rises to $17.40 on Jan 1, 2027. Many cities and counties set a higher minimum of their own, and some industries have their own rate.
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).
Disability: 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."
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.
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.
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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