California Disability Insurance Calculator
Figure basis: Official California Employment Development DepartmentCalifornia State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a mandatory payroll deduction that funds Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave. This calculator estimates your 2026 California deduction for State Disability Insurance (SDI). Enter your annual wages to see the contribution and the total. This is an employee payroll deduction: your employer withholds it from your pay and sends it to the state, so it reduces your take-home pay but is not paid by the employer. It is separate from federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. All rates and caps are sourced from California Employment Development Department and verified for 2026.
On $90,000 of wages in California, the estimated 2026 State Disability Insurance (SDI) deduction is $1,170.00 for the year, about 1.30% of pay.
How California disability insurance is calculated
State Disability Insurance (SDI): SB 951 removed the taxable wage ceiling from 2024, so all wages are subject to SDI with no annual maximum.
State Disability Insurance (SDI): wages x 1.3%
California disability insurance figures (2026)
| Program | Employee rate | Cap | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Disability Insurance (SDI) | 1.3% | No cap | California Employment Development Department |
Editor's insight: what California's uncapped SDI means for you
California is one of only a handful of states that runs its own disability insurance program, and it is easily the broadest in scope. The State Disability Insurance (SDI) fund, run by the Employment Development Department, pays two kinds of benefit from the same 1.3% payroll deduction: short-term Disability Insurance when you cannot work because of your own illness, injury, or pregnancy, and Paid Family Leave when you need time to care for a seriously ill relative or to bond with a new child.
What sets 2026 apart is the missing ceiling. Under SB 951, California removed the taxable wage cap in 2024, so the 1.3% applies to every dollar you earn with no annual maximum. A worker on $90,000 contributes $1,170 for the year; someone on $250,000 pays $3,250, where in a capped state their bill would have stopped far lower. The same law also lifted the share of wages the benefit replaces, so lower-wage workers now recover more of their pay while on leave.
Coverage is broad: almost every private-sector employee in California pays into SDI through automatic payroll withholding, though some public employees and workers under an approved voluntary plan sit outside the state fund. Because it comes straight out of wages, SDI reduces your take-home pay but gives you wage replacement you do not have to insure separately.
California disability insurance: frequently asked questions
What is California disability insurance and who pays it?
California State Disability Insurance (SDI) is a mandatory payroll deduction that funds Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave. It is funded by an employee payroll deduction (your employer withholds it), not by the employer.
What is the California disability insurance rate for 2026?
State Disability Insurance (SDI): 1.3% with no cap.
How much will this deduction cost on a $90,000 salary in California?
On $90,000 of annual wages, the estimated 2026 California contribution is $1,170.00, about 1.30% of pay. Enter your own wages above for your figure.
Is California disability insurance deducted from my paycheck?
Yes. State Disability Insurance (SDI) is withheld from your wages by your employer and remitted to the state. It is separate from federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare.
Official sources
- California disability insurance rates and caps (tax year 2026): California Employment Development Department, as at Jul 15, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 July 2026. See our methodology. General information, not tax or legal advice.