Hourly Paycheck Calculator California

California Hourly Paycheck Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate your net pay per pay period in California, taking into account federal and state taxes, as well as common deductions. Please note that tax calculations are simplified approximations and should not be used for official tax purposes.

Weekly Bi-Weekly Semi-Monthly Monthly

Federal Tax Information

Single Married Filing Jointly

California State Tax Information

Single Married Head of Household

Estimated Paycheck Breakdown

Gross Pay: $0.00

Pre-tax Deductions: $0.00

Taxable Gross: $0.00

Federal Income Tax: $0.00

Social Security Tax: $0.00

Medicare Tax: $0.00

California State Income Tax: $0.00

California SDI Tax: $0.00

Post-tax Deductions: $0.00

Net Pay: $0.00

Understanding Your California Hourly Paycheck

For hourly employees in California, understanding how your paycheck is calculated can be complex due to various federal and state deductions. This guide and calculator aim to demystify the process, helping you estimate your take-home pay.

What is Gross Pay?

Your gross pay is the total amount of money you earn before any deductions are taken out. For hourly workers, it's calculated based on your hourly wage and the number of hours you work. In California, overtime rules are significant:

  • Regular Pay: Your hourly wage multiplied by your regular hours worked.
  • Overtime Pay: In California, overtime is generally paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly rate for hours worked over 8 in a workday, over 40 in a workweek, or for the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek. Double-time (2 times your regular rate) applies for hours worked over 12 in a workday or over 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day. Our calculator simplifies this by applying a 1.5x multiplier to any hours entered as "Overtime Hours Worked."

Pre-tax Deductions

These are deductions taken from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. Common pre-tax deductions include contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, health insurance premiums, and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions. Because these reduce your taxable income, they can lower your overall tax liability.

Federal Taxes

Several federal taxes are withheld from your paycheck:

  • Social Security (OASDI): This tax funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. It's typically 6.2% of your gross wages, up to an annual wage limit (e.g., $168,600 for 2024).
  • Medicare (HI): This tax funds hospital insurance for the elderly and disabled. It's 1.45% of all your gross wages, with no annual limit. An additional Medicare tax of 0.9% may apply to high earners, but is not included in this simplified calculator.
  • Federal Income Tax (FIT): This is a progressive tax, meaning higher earners pay a larger percentage. The amount withheld depends on your gross income, filing status (e.g., Single, Married Filing Jointly), and the number of dependents you claim on your W-4 form. Our calculator uses simplified federal tax brackets for estimation purposes.

California State Taxes

California has its own set of state-specific deductions:

  • California State Disability Insurance (SDI): This program provides temporary benefits to eligible workers who are unable to work due to non-work-related illness or injury, or for family leave. The SDI tax rate is a percentage of your gross wages, up to an annual wage limit (e.g., 1.1% up to $160,400 for 2024).
  • California State Income Tax (CA FIT): Similar to federal income tax, California has a progressive state income tax. The amount withheld depends on your gross income, filing status (e.g., Single, Married, Head of Household), and the number of allowances you claim on your DE 4 form. Our calculator uses simplified state tax brackets and allowance credits for estimation.

Post-tax Deductions

These deductions are taken from your pay after all applicable taxes have been calculated and withheld. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, union dues, garnishments, or certain charitable contributions.

Net Pay

Your net pay, also known as take-home pay, is the amount of money you receive after all federal taxes, state taxes, and other deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.

Example Calculation

Let's consider an example using the default values in the calculator:

  • Hourly Wage: $25.00
  • Regular Hours: 80 (bi-weekly)
  • Overtime Hours: 0
  • Pay Period: Bi-Weekly
  • Pre-tax Deductions: $100.00
  • Post-tax Deductions: $20.00
  • Federal Filing Status: Single, 0 Dependents
  • California Filing Status: Single, 0 Allowances

Gross Pay: $25.00/hour * 80 hours = $2,000.00

Pre-tax Deductions: $100.00

Taxable Gross: $2,000.00 – $100.00 = $1,900.00

From this taxable gross, federal and state taxes (Social Security, Medicare, Federal Income Tax, California SDI, California State Income Tax) would be calculated based on the simplified rates and brackets used by the calculator. Finally, post-tax deductions of $20.00 would be subtracted to arrive at your net pay.

Remember, this calculator provides an estimate. For precise figures, consult with a payroll professional or refer to official IRS and EDD (Employment Development Department) resources.

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Calculate Gross Pay var regularPay = hourlyWage * regularHours; var overtimePay = hourlyWage * overtimeHours * 1.5; // Assuming 1.5x for overtime var grossPay = regularPay + overtimePay; // 2. Pre-tax Deductions var taxableGross = grossPay – preTaxDeductions; if (taxableGross < 0) taxableGross = 0; // Ensure taxable gross doesn't go negative var annualGrossPay = grossPay * payPeriodMultiplier; var annualTaxableGross = taxableGross * payPeriodMultiplier; // 3. Federal Taxes (Simplified for demonstration) var federalIncomeTax = 0; var socialSecurityTax = 0; var medicareTax = 0; // Social Security (OASDI) – 6.2% up to annual limit ($168,600 for 2024) var ssLimitAnnual = 168600; var ssTaxable = Math.min(grossPay, ssLimitAnnual / payPeriodMultiplier); socialSecurityTax = ssTaxable * 0.062; // Medicare (HI) – 1.45% of all gross wages (no limit) medicareTax = grossPay * 0.0145; // Federal Income Tax (FIT) – Simplified progressive calculation // Using simplified standard deductions and a placeholder for dependent reduction (similar to old allowances) var federalStandardDeductionAnnual = (federalFilingStatus === 'Single') ? 14600 : 29200; // 2024 values var federalDependentReductionAnnual = federalDependents * 4700; // Placeholder for allowance-like reduction var annualTaxableForFIT = annualTaxableGross – federalStandardDeductionAnnual – federalDependentReductionAnnual; if (annualTaxableForFIT < 0) annualTaxableForFIT = 0; // Simplified Federal Tax Brackets (Approximation for 2024) var annualFIT = 0; if (annualTaxableForFIT <= 20000) { annualFIT = annualTaxableForFIT * 0.10; } else if (annualTaxableForFIT <= 80000) { annualFIT = (20000 * 0.10) + ((annualTaxableForFIT – 20000) * 0.15); } else { annualFIT = (20000 * 0.10) + (60000 * 0.15) + ((annualTaxableForFIT – 80000) * 0.20); } federalIncomeTax = annualFIT / payPeriodMultiplier; if (federalIncomeTax < 0) federalIncomeTax = 0; // 4. California State Taxes (Simplified for demonstration) var caStateIncomeTax = 0; var caSDITax = 0; // California State Disability Insurance (SDI) – 1.1% up to annual limit ($160,400 for 2024) var caSDILimitAnnual = 160400; var caSDITaxable = Math.min(grossPay, caSDILimitAnnual / payPeriodMultiplier); caSDITax = caSDITaxable * 0.011; // California State Income Tax (CA FIT) – Simplified progressive calculation // Using simplified standard deductions and allowance credits var caStandardDeductionAnnual; if (caFilingStatus === 'Single' || caFilingStatus === 'Married Filing Separately') { caStandardDeductionAnnual = 5202; // 2024 value } else { // Married, Head of Household caStandardDeductionAnnual = 10404; // 2024 value } var annualTaxableForCAFIT = annualTaxableGross – caStandardDeductionAnnual; if (annualTaxableForCAFIT < 0) annualTaxableForCAFIT = 0; // Simplified California Tax Brackets (Approximation for 2024) var annualCAFIT = 0; if (annualTaxableForCAFIT <= 10000) { annualCAFIT = annualTaxableForCAFIT * 0.01; } else if (annualTaxableForCAFIT <= 50000) { annualCAFIT = (10000 * 0.01) + ((annualTaxableForCAFIT – 10000) * 0.03); } else if (annualTaxableForCAFIT <= 100000) { annualCAFIT = (10000 * 0.01) + (40000 * 0.03) + ((annualTaxableForCAFIT – 50000) * 0.05); } else { annualCAFIT = (10000 * 0.01) + (40000 * 0.03) + (50000 * 0.05) + ((annualTaxableForCAFIT – 100000) * 0.07); } // Apply CA Allowance Credit (2024 value: $146.50 per allowance) annualCAFIT -= (caAllowances * 146.50); if (annualCAFIT < 0) annualCAFIT = 0; caStateIncomeTax = annualCAFIT / payPeriodMultiplier; if (caStateIncomeTax < 0) caStateIncomeTax = 0; // 5. Total Deductions var totalTaxes = federalIncomeTax + socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + caStateIncomeTax + caSDITax; var totalDeductions = preTaxDeductions + totalTaxes + postTaxDeductions; // 6. Net Pay var netPay = grossPay – totalDeductions; // Display Results document.getElementById("grossPayResult").innerText = "$" + grossPay.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("preTaxDeductionsResult").innerText = "$" + preTaxDeductions.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("taxableGrossResult").innerText = "$" + taxableGross.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("federalIncomeTaxResult").innerText = "$" + federalIncomeTax.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("socialSecurityTaxResult").innerText = "$" + socialSecurityTax.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("medicareTaxResult").innerText = "$" + medicareTax.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("caStateIncomeTaxResult").innerText = "$" + caStateIncomeTax.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("caSDITaxResult").innerText = "$" + caSDITax.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("postTaxDeductionsResult").innerText = "$" + postTaxDeductions.toFixed(2); document.getElementById("netPayResult").innerText = "$" + netPay.toFixed(2); } // Run calculation on page load with default values window.onload = calculatePaycheck;

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