What is the California SDI rate for 2024?

California State Disability Insurance (SDI), which also funds Paid Family Leave, is withheld at 1.1% of wages for 2024. As of 2024 the taxable wage cap was removed, so SDI applies to all wages with no annual ceiling. This calculator applies the 1.1% rate to your gross pay.

How much is withheld for Social Security and Medicare?

FICA takes 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base of $168,600 in 2024) and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. High earners pay an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax above $200,000. These are federal, not California-specific, but they reduce your California take-home pay.

Is California income tax included in this paycheck estimate?

Yes. The tool applies California's graduated state income tax brackets to your annualized taxable wages, then divides the result back to your pay period. California has nine brackets from 1% up to 12.3%, plus a 1% mental-health surcharge above $1 million.

Does this calculator account for 401(k) contributions?

Yes. Pre-tax 401(k) or 403(b) contributions you enter are subtracted before federal and California income tax are computed, lowering both. Note that 401(k) contributions still count toward Social Security, Medicare, and SDI, which are based on gross wages.

Why is my actual paycheck slightly different?

Real payroll uses IRS Publication 15-T and California DE 44 withholding tables, plus your exact W-4 allowances, local benefits, and any post-tax deductions. This is a close estimate using bracket math and standard deductions, not an exact replica of your employer's payroll system.

California Paycheck Calculator

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This calculator estimates your California take-home pay for a single paycheck. It layers the four big deductions every California worker faces — federal income tax, FICA, California state income tax, and State Disability Insurance — onto your gross wages and returns the net amount that lands in your account.

How it works

Your gross pay per period is first annualized using your pay frequency. Pre-tax retirement contributions are subtracted to find taxable wages for income-tax purposes. The tool then applies four deductions:

Social Security = 6.2% of gross wages (capped at the $168,600 wage base)
Medicare        = 1.45% of gross wages (+0.9% above $200,000)
SDI             = 1.1% of gross wages (no cap in 2024)
Federal tax     = federal brackets on (gross − 401k − standard deduction)
California tax  = CA brackets on (gross − 401k − CA standard deduction)

FICA and SDI are based on gross wages, while federal and California income taxes are based on wages after the standard deduction and any pre-tax contributions. The annual taxes are divided back down to your pay period to produce per-check withholding.

Example

A single Californian earning 6,000 dollars a month with no 401(k) annualizes to 72,000 dollars. Social Security takes 6.2 percent and Medicare 1.45 percent of gross, SDI takes 1.1 percent, and the federal and California brackets apply to income after the standard deductions. The remaining amount, divided by twelve, is the monthly take-home pay.

Notes

This is an estimate, not payroll-grade output. Exact withholding depends on your W-4 entries, California DE 4 allowances, post-tax deductions, and employer benefit plans. Verify against your pay stub and the EDD DE 44 guide. The SDI rate and wage-base rules change yearly; the 2024 values are used here.