California Hourly Paycheck Calculator
This California hourly paycheck calculator turns your hourly wage into take-home pay. Enter your hourly rate, the hours you work per week, how often you are paid and your filing status, and it estimates the federal and California taxes withheld and what lands in your bank account each paycheck. It multiplies your rate by your hours to get gross pay, then applies the same withholdings a salaried worker faces: federal income tax using the IRS 2025 percentage method, Social Security at 6.2% up to the wage base, Medicare at 1.45%, and California state income tax withholding from the California Franchise Tax Board brackets for tax year 2025. It is ideal for hourly and part-time workers, for checking a payslip, or for comparing a new wage. Straight time is used (rate times hours); for overtime, add those hours at time and a half. State Disability Insurance where it applies, and any local income taxes, are not included and are noted separately. The federal rates are official IRS figures and the California brackets are sourced from the state authority.
At $25/hour, 40 hours a week (single) in California, take-home is about $1,634.92 every two weeks, after federal tax $161.60, Social Security $124.00, Medicare $29.00 and California tax $50.48.
How the California hourly paycheck is calculated
annual gross = hourly rate x hours per week x 52
gross per period = annual gross / pay periods per year
then federal withholding + Social Security + Medicare + California income tax withholding are subtracted
take-home = gross per period - all withholdings
California hourly paycheck: frequently asked questions
What is take-home pay on $25 an hour in California?
At $25 an hour for 40 hours a week (about $2,000 every two weeks), a single filer in California keeps roughly $1,634.92 per paycheck after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and California state income tax. Enter your own rate and hours above.
How is hourly pay taxed in California?
Your hourly rate times hours gives your gross pay, then the same withholdings apply as for salaried pay: federal income tax (IRS percentage method), Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and California state income tax withholding from the California Franchise Tax Board brackets.
Is overtime included?
This calculator uses straight hours times rate. For overtime, add your overtime hours at 1.5x by increasing the gross, or use the overtime calculator. Federal law (FLSA) requires 1.5x pay over 40 hours a week for non-exempt workers.
Does this include SDI or local taxes?
No. It covers federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and California state income tax. State Disability Insurance, where a state levies it, and local income taxes are not included.
Official sources
- Federal income tax withholding and FICA (2025): US Internal Revenue Service and US Social Security Administration, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- California income tax brackets (tax year 2025): California Franchise Tax Board, as at Jun 12, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 26 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice. SDI and local taxes are not included.