California Paycheck Calculator 2026 – Take-Home Pay After Tax

How your California paycheck is calculated

California income tax withholding

California uses the EDD "Method B – Exact Calculation" schedules for 2026. If your wages are at or below the low-income exemption for your pay period (for example $727 every two weeks if single), nothing is withheld. Otherwise the standard deduction for your period is subtracted, the 2026 tax-rate table for your filing status is applied (withholding rates from 1.1% up to 14.63%), and an exemption credit per allowance on your DE 4 is subtracted ($6.47 per allowance on a biweekly paycheck).

California SDI (1.3%)

State Disability Insurance, which also funds Paid Family Leave, is withheld at 1.3% of all SDI-subject wages in 2026. Since 2024 there is no wage cap. Traditional 401(k) deferrals still count as SDI wages; Section 125 cafeteria-plan health premiums do not.

Pre-tax deductions

Traditional 401(k)/403(b) contributions lower the wages used for federal and California income tax, but not Social Security, Medicare or SDI. Section 125 health premiums lower all of them.

Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare

Federal withholding uses the IRS 2026 percentage method for automated payroll systems (Publication 15-T, Worksheet 1A). Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the $184,500 wage base, and Medicare is 1.45% of all wages plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000. Per-paycheck Social Security and Medicare are shown as a yearly average: if you pass the wage base, your later paychecks will show none.

What this calculator does not include

This estimate does not cover bonuses or other supplemental wages, multiple jobs, Roth (after-tax) contributions, HSA payroll contributions, wage garnishments, or tips and overtime deductions unless you enter them on Form W-4 Step 4(b). See the methodology for details.

Frequently asked questions

How much is California SDI in 2026?

The 2026 SDI withholding rate is 1.3% of wages with no taxable wage limit, according to the California EDD. On $5,000 of pay that is $65.

What is a California withholding allowance?

Allowances come from your DE 4 (or W-4 if you never filed a DE 4). Each regular allowance gives an exemption credit that reduces withholding, for example $6.47 per allowance per biweekly paycheck in 2026. Additional allowances for estimated deductions instead reduce the wages subject to withholding.

Does married status change California withholding?

Yes. Married employees with two or more allowances and heads of household get a higher low-income exemption and standard deduction in the EDD tables, and a different rate table applies.

How is federal income tax withholding calculated?

We follow Worksheet 1A of IRS Publication 15-T (2026) for a 2020-or-later Form W-4: your taxable pay is annualized, adjusted by the Form W-4 entries (Step 2 checkbox, Step 3 credits, Step 4 other income, deductions and extra withholding), run through the 2026 percentage-method table for your filing status, and divided back by your number of paychecks. Our engine reproduces all 4,350 cells of the IRS 2026 wage-bracket tables for weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly pay.

Why does Social Security stop at $184,500?

For 2026 the Social Security (OASDI) wage base is $184,500 (SSA). The 6.2% employee tax applies only to wages up to that amount each year. Medicare (1.45%) has no cap, and employers must withhold an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 in the year, regardless of filing status.

Is withholding the same as the tax I will owe?

No. Withholding is an estimate taken from each paycheck. Your actual tax is settled when you file your return and depends on all your income, deductions and credits, so you may get a refund or owe more.

Official sources

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