Estimate your net pay in California by entering your gross pay and relevant details.
Weekly (52 per year)
Bi-weekly (26 per year)
Semi-monthly (24 per year)
Monthly (12 per year)
Single
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household
Married Filing Jointly
Estimated Deductions & Net Pay
Gross Pay: $0.00
Federal Income Tax Withholding: $0.00
Social Security Tax: $0.00
Medicare Tax: $0.00
California SDI: $0.00
Pre-Tax Deductions: $0.00
Additional Withholding: $0.00
Net Pay: $0.00
Understanding Your California Pay Stub
A pay stub, also known as a payslip or earnings statement, is a document provided by an employer that details an employee's earnings and deductions for a specific pay period. In California, specific tax laws and regulations dictate how much should be withheld from your paycheck. This calculator aims to provide an *estimate* of your net pay after typical deductions, including federal taxes, state taxes (California SDI), Social Security, Medicare, and common pre-tax deductions.
Key Components of Your Pay Stub:
Gross Pay: The total amount of money you earned before any deductions are taken out.
Deductions: These are amounts subtracted from your gross pay. They can include:
Federal Income Tax: Based on your W-4 information (filing status, allowances).
Social Security Tax: A federal tax of 6.2% on earnings up to an annual limit (this calculator uses the flat rate for estimation).
Medicare Tax: A federal tax of 1.45% on all earnings.
California State Disability Insurance (SDI): A state-mandated program providing short-term disability benefits, funded by a payroll tax.
Pre-Tax Deductions: Amounts like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, or FSA contributions that are deducted before taxes are calculated, thus reducing your taxable income.
Additional Withholding: An extra amount you elect to have withheld from your paycheck, often to cover potential tax liabilities.
Net Pay: This is your "take-home pay" – the amount you actually receive after all deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
How the Calculator Works (Simplified Explanation):
This calculator estimates your net pay by:
Taking your entered Gross Pay for the period.
Calculating FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) based on the standard rates applied to your gross pay.
Estimating California SDI based on the state rate and your gross pay.
Factoring in Pre-Tax Deductions to potentially reduce your taxable income for federal and state income tax calculations (though this calculator simplifies federal tax estimation).
Estimating Federal Income Tax Withholding. This is a complex calculation usually done by payroll software using IRS tax tables and your W-4 information (filing status, allowances). This calculator uses a simplified approximation.
Adding any Additional Withholding you specified.
Summing all deductions and subtracting them from the Gross Pay to arrive at the estimated Net Pay.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an ESTIMATE only. Actual withholdings can vary based on specific payroll software, exact tax table interpretations, annual earning limits, and other potential deductions not included here (like local taxes or specific union dues). For precise figures, always refer to your official pay stub or consult with your HR department or a tax professional.
California Tax Specifics:
California SDI: This is a unique state program that covers benefits for non-work-related illnesses or injuries. It's funded through payroll deductions.
Federal Income Tax Brackets: California residents are subject to federal income tax, which is progressive, meaning higher income levels are taxed at higher rates. The number of allowances claimed on your W-4 significantly impacts the amount of federal income tax withheld.
Pre-Tax Deductions Impact: Maximizing pre-tax deductions (like for retirement or healthcare) can effectively lower your taxable income, leading to lower federal and state income tax liabilities.
function calculatePaystub() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossPay").value);
var payFrequency = document.getElementById("payFrequency").value;
var filingStatus = document.getElementById("filingStatus").value;
var allowances = parseInt(document.getElementById("allowances").value);
var medicareRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById("medicareRate").value) / 100;
var socialSecurityRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById("socialSecurityRate").value) / 100;
var additionalWithholding = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalWithholding").value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("preTaxDeductions").value);
var californiaSDIRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById("californiaSDI").value) / 100;
// — Input Validation —
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(allowances) || allowances < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number of Allowances.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(additionalWithholding) || additionalWithholding < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Additional Withholding amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions 0) {
taxableIncome = grossPay – preTaxDeductions;
}
// Ensure taxable income doesn't go below zero
if (taxableIncome < 0) {
taxableIncome = 0;
}
// Federal Income Tax Withholding Estimation (Simplified)
var federalTax = 0;
var annualGrossPay = grossPay; // Assuming calculation is for one period and needs annualization
var annualTaxableIncome = taxableIncome;
switch(payFrequency) {
case 'weekly': annualGrossPay = grossPay * 52; break;
case 'biweekly': annualGrossPay = grossPay * 26; break;
case 'semimonthly': annualGrossPay = grossPay * 24; break;
case 'monthly': annualGrossPay = grossPay * 12; break;
}
// Simple annualization for taxable income
annualTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – (preTaxDeductions * (52/getPeriodsPerYear(payFrequency))); // Approximating annual pre-tax deductions
var effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome = annualTaxableIncome;
// Adjust for standard deduction and allowances – THIS IS HIGHLY SIMPLIFIED
// In reality, these are applied differently and have phase-outs and other complexities.
// This is a rough estimate for demonstration.
var standardDeduction = STANDARD_DEDUCTION_SINGLE;
if (filingStatus === 'married_filing_jointly') {
standardDeduction = STANDARD_DEDUCTION_MARRIED_JOINTLY;
} else if (filingStatus === 'head_of_household') {
standardDeduction = STANDARD_DEDUCTION_HEAD_HOUSEHOLD;
} else if (filingStatus === 'married_filing_separately') {
standardDeduction = STANDARD_DEDUCTION_MARRIED_SEPARATELY;
}
// Simplified taxable income after standard deduction
effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – standardDeduction;
// Further simplified adjustment for allowances (as credits – not technically correct but often approximated this way for simplicity)
effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome -= allowances * (PERSONAL_EXEMPTION_AMOUNT / getPeriodsPerYear(payFrequency)); // Distribute exemption effect over periods
if (effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome < 0) {
effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome = 0;
}
var taxBrackets = FEDERAL_TAX_BRACKETS_SINGLE;
if (filingStatus === 'married_filing_jointly') {
taxBrackets = FEDERAL_TAX_BRACKETS_MARRIED_JOINTLY;
} else if (filingStatus === 'head_of_household') {
taxBrackets = FEDERAL_TAX_BRACKETS_HEAD_HOUSEHOLD;
}
var annualFederalTax = 0;
var previousLimit = 0;
for (var i = 0; i previousLimit) {
taxableInBracket = Math.min(effectiveAnnualTaxableIncome, bracket.limit) – previousLimit;
annualFederalTax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
} else {
break; // No more income to tax
}
previousLimit = bracket.limit;
}
// Prorate annual federal tax back to the pay period
var periodsPerYear = getPeriodsPerYear(payFrequency);
federalTax = annualFederalTax / periodsPerYear;
// Ensure deductions do not exceed gross pay
socialSecurityTax = Math.min(socialSecurityTax, grossPay);
medicareTax = Math.min(medicareTax, grossPay);
californiaSDITax = Math.min(californiaSDITax, grossPay);
federalTax = Math.min(federalTax, grossPay);
additionalWithholding = Math.min(additionalWithholding, grossPay);
preTaxDeductions = Math.min(preTaxDeductions, grossPay);
// Total Deductions
var totalDeductions = socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + californiaSDITax + federalTax + additionalWithholding + preTaxDeductions;
var netPay = grossPay – totalDeductions;
// Ensure net pay is not negative
if (netPay 0) {
calculatePaystub();
} else {
// Display zeros if gross pay is not set or is zero
document.getElementById("resultGrossPay").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultFederalTax").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultSocialSecurity").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultMedicare").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultSDI").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultPreTaxDeductions").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultAdditionalWithholding").innerText = "$0.00";
document.getElementById("resultNetPay").innerText = "$0.00";
}
});