California has the highest state income tax in the United States, stacked on top of federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. The calculator above applies the 2025 federal brackets, California's progressive state schedule, FICA and California SDI — so you can see exactly how a gross salary becomes take-home in the Golden State, typically a larger deduction than almost anywhere else in the country.
California state income tax
California taxes income on a steeply progressive schedule, with rates climbing into the double digits at high incomes plus an additional 1% surcharge on income above $1 million. There is no separate city income tax in California, but the state's own top rates mean high earners give up a substantial share of each additional dollar. For most middle-income earners, the effective state rate is far lower than the top marginal figure suggests, because only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate.
SDI and what take-home really looks like
On top of income tax, California withholds State Disability Insurance (SDI), a small percentage of wages. Combined with federal tax and FICA, a six-figure California salary commonly nets noticeably less than the same salary in a no-income-tax state such as Texas or Florida — one of the clearest illustrations of why you should always compare offers in net, not gross.