California paycheck calculator
Enter pay, the federal Form W-4 and the California DE 4 details to see federal income tax, social security, Medicare, California income tax and SDI for a 2026 paycheck, and what's left to take home.
| 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
- 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
- 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
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. Turn this into a pay stub opens the pay stub generator with the paycheck filled in; with California as the work state, it can calculate the same state lines.
Need a pay stub for this pay?
Free to create and preview. No account or card.