About CA Paycheck Calculator
CA Paycheck Calculator is an independent, California-focused calculator site. We exist because the gap between "the salary on your offer letter" and "what hits your bank account" is larger in California than in almost any other state — and because most paycheck calculators are either built for the whole country (and miss California-specific mechanics like SDI and the Mental Health Services Act surcharge) or buried under sign-up forms and email gates.
What we do
We model California paychecks accurately, using:
- Projected 2026 federal income tax brackets and standard deductions.
- 2026 California Franchise Tax Board–style inflation-adjusted brackets.
- Federal FICA (Social Security and Medicare) including Additional Medicare for high earners.
- California State Disability Insurance (SDI) at the current uncapped rate.
- Special handling for bonuses, RSUs, 1099 income, and freelance work.
Every page is hand-written. We don't generate templated copy across hundreds of near-identical landing pages. If a page exists on this site, it's because we believed it was the clearest way to answer a specific question.
What we don't do
We don't collect your salary, your name, or your email. The calculators run entirely in your browser — nothing about your inputs leaves your device. We don't sell data to third parties because we don't have any. We don't give individualized tax, legal, or financial advice. Our calculators are starting points; for actual filing, work with a CPA or enrolled agent who can see your full picture.
How we keep the numbers accurate
Tax brackets, FICA wage bases, and SDI rates change every year. We update our calculation engine annually as the IRS publishes Rev. Proc. inflation adjustments and as the California FTB and EDD publish their schedules. The methodology pageexplains every constant we use, so anyone can verify the math.
How we make money
Site costs are covered by display advertising. We do not accept paid placements in calculator results. We do not let advertisers influence which deductions we include or how brackets are applied. If we ever change that, this page will say so first.
Contact
For corrections, broken pages, or methodology questions, email us via the contact form (coming soon) or reach out through whichever public channel hosts this site at the time you're reading this. We read every report.