Pay & tax
California paycheck calculator
Enter your salary and filing status, plus any bonus, overtime or 401(k), to see your California take-home pay per day, week, month and year.
How it works
California has one of the highest state income tax rates in the country: nine brackets rising from 1% to 12.3% of taxable income, plus an extra 1% Mental Health Services Tax on taxable income over $1 million (not modelled here). Federal tax, Social Security and Medicare work the same way as in any other state. California’s own standard deduction is much smaller than the federal one — $5,706 for a single filer, $11,412 filing jointly, for the current tax year.
Frequently asked questions
What is California’s state income tax rate?
California uses nine progressive brackets from 1% to 12.3% of taxable income, after the state standard deduction. Most salaries fall well short of the top bracket.
Does this include California’s local or city taxes?
California does not levy local city or county income tax on wages, so this calculator’s state tax figure is a complete state-level estimate.
Is there an extra tax on high earners in California?
Yes. California adds a 1% Mental Health Services Tax on taxable income above $1 million, on top of the standard brackets. This calculator does not model that additional 1%, so results above $1 million are slightly understated.
How accurate is this for California specifically?
It uses California’s published 2025 tax brackets and standard deduction alongside federal tax, Social Security and Medicare. See the main US take-home pay calculator for all 50 states and the full method.
Method: published US 2025 federal tax year rates. This is an estimate, not tax advice. How our calculators work.