California · 2026
California paycheck calculator
| Item | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $59,999.94 |
| Federal income tax | −$193.08 | −$5,020.08 |
| Social security | −$143.08 | −$3,720.08 |
| Medicare | −$33.46 | −$869.96 |
| California income tax | −$69.42 | −$1,804.92 |
| California SDI | −$30.00 | −$780.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,838.65 | $47,804.90 |
The official method, step by step
For 2026, the California lines are worked out as follows (rule set us-ca-2026.1): California income tax by EDD Method B; SDI 1.3% of all wages.
- Pay is annualized, then reduced by the Form W-4 amount for your filing status ($8,600, or $12,900 if married filing jointly) unless the Step 2 box is checked.
- Federal income tax comes from the IRS 2026 Annual Percentage Method table for that status, divided back to one paycheck.
- Social security is 6.2% of wages until the year's wages reach $184,500.
- Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year.
- A pre-tax 401(k) lowers federal income tax wages, not social security or Medicare wages.
- California income tax follows the EDD's Method B: no withholding at or below the low-income exemption, then the standard deduction, the rate table for the pay period and filing status, less the credit for each DE 4 allowance.
- California SDI is 1.3% of all wages in 2026, with no wage limit.
What this leaves out
The calculator works out federal income tax, social security, Medicare and the California lines for 2026, and leaves out the items below.
- Local taxes, where they apply
- DE 4 additional allowances for estimated deductions (the pay stub generator handles them)
- Benefits, garnishments and other after-tax deductions
- W-4 Step 3 credits and Step 4 entries (the pay stub generator handles them)
Sources: California EDD, 2026 Withholding Schedules – Method B (Exact Calculation Method), Tables 1–4 and 17–28; California EDD, Contribution Rates, Withholding Schedules, and Meals and Lodging Values (SDI 1.3% for 2026, all wages); IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method Tables; IRS Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E) Employer's Tax Guide: social security and Medicare tax, Additional Medicare Tax.
California paycheck calculator: common questions
Common questions about California paychecks and take-home pay in 2026, answered from the official sources listed above.
How is California income tax withheld from a paycheck?
With the EDD's withholding schedules: pay at or below the low-income exemption has none; otherwise the standard deduction is taken off, the rate table for the pay period and filing status applies, and a credit for each DE 4 allowance is subtracted.
What is SDI on a California paycheck?
State Disability Insurance, which funds disability and paid family leave benefits. In 2026 it's 1.3% of all wages, with no wage limit.
Do I use the W-4 or the DE 4 for California?
California's own form, the DE 4, sets the state filing status and allowances. The EDD's withholding schedules also cover employers who use an existing Form W-4 for California withholding.
Can I make a pay stub from this?
Yes. “Make a California pay stub with these numbers” opens the pay stub generator with this paycheck, California as the work state and these deductions filled in. Once you add the pay date, it can recalculate the same state lines.
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