Also for California: paycheck calculator · hourly · salary · take-home pay by job
California take-home pay by hourly rate
| Wage | Gross / 2 weeks | Taxes | Take-home / 2 weeks | Per week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12/hour | $960.00 | $125.13 | $834.87 | $417.44 |
| $15/hour | $1,200.00 | $177.97 | $1,022.03 | $511.02 |
| $18/hour | $1,440.00 | $238.15 | $1,201.85 | $600.93 |
| $20/hour | $1,600.00 | $278.71 | $1,321.29 | $660.65 |
| $22/hour | $1,760.00 | $319.27 | $1,440.73 | $720.37 |
| $25/hour | $2,000.00 | $384.21 | $1,615.79 | $807.90 |
| $30/hour | $2,400.00 | $494.41 | $1,905.59 | $952.80 |
| $35/hour | $2,800.00 | $636.92 | $2,163.08 | $1,081.54 |
| $40/hour | $3,200.00 | $798.55 | $2,401.45 | $1,200.73 |
| $50/hour | $4,000.00 | $1,127.99 | $2,872.01 | $1,436.01 |
40 hours a week, paid every two weeks, single, W-4 defaults, no pre-tax deductions.
How California taxes hourly pay
California has the most graduated income tax in the country: nine withholding brackets from 1.1% to 14.63% (the top bracket includes the 1% mental health surcharge above $1 million). Employers follow the EDD's Method B:
- No tax at all if your annualized pay is under the low-income exemption ($18,896 single, $37,791 head of household or married with 2+ allowances).
- Subtract the standard deduction ($5,706 or $11,412 a year).
- Apply the bracket rates for your filing status.
- Subtract $168.30 a year for each regular allowance on your DE 4 (or W-4).
On top of that, CA SDI takes 1.3% of all wages in 2026 (it covers disability and paid family leave and has no wage cap since 2024). Pre-tax 401(k) and health deductions reduce California income tax wages; health deductions also reduce SDI wages, 401(k) deferrals don't.
Hourly workers pay the same taxes as salaried staff. What changes is that your check moves with your hours, so withholding moves with it: a week with overtime is withheld as if every week looked like that.
Questions
How much is $20 an hour after taxes in California?
About $1,321.29 every two weeks ($660.65 a week) for 40 hours a week, single, W-4 defaults, 2026 rules. That's about $34,353 a year.
How is overtime taxed in California?
Overtime is taxed like regular pay, but a check with overtime is annualized as if you earned that much every period, so more is withheld from that check. At $20 an hour with 10 overtime hours in a two-week period, take-home is about $1,543.34 instead of $1,321.29. Any new federal deduction for overtime is claimed through W-4 Step 4(b) or on your tax return.