California Take-Home Pay Calculator (2026)

California has the highest state income tax rate in the country, with a top marginal rate of 13.3%. That top rate applies to income above $1 million for single filers. The state uses nine brackets. Workers in the middle of the income distribution face rates of 6% to 9.3%, depending on their earnings. A single filer earning $75,000 pays an effective California state rate of roughly 5% to 6%.

The income tax is not the only state-level deduction from California paychecks. Workers also pay the State Disability Insurance (SDI) tax, which is 1.1% of wages with no cap in 2026. SDI funds California's paid family leave and short-term disability programs. It is mandatory and appears as a separate line on most paystubs.

California does not have a state standard deduction that keeps pace with inflation the way the federal deduction does. The California standard deduction is only $5,202 for single filers. That means taxable income for California purposes is substantially higher than federal taxable income for most workers, which pushes more earnings into higher brackets than many people anticipate.

High earners who also have capital gains or pass-through income feel the California tax bite most sharply. California taxes capital gains as ordinary income at the same rates, so a high-income earner with stock compensation can face combined federal and state marginal rates above 50% on some income. For workers earning under $100,000, the more relevant figure is the effective rate, which typically runs 4% to 7% depending on income level and deductions.