California pay stubs
California pay stub generator
For employers and contractors recording wages that were actually paid in California. Federal withholding is a 2026 estimate. The California figures below are the 2024 tables. Free: 3 PDFs every 24 hours. Do not use the PDF to misrepresent income.
Make a pay recordHow California income tax affects a paycheck
California uses progressive tax brackets, so the rate applied rises with annual income. Payroll annualizes each paycheck, applies the brackets below, then converts the result back to a per-period amount for the stub.
| Annual income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0.00 – $10,412.00 | 1.00% |
| $10,412.00 – $24,684.00 | 2.00% |
| $24,684.00 – $38,959.00 | 4.00% |
| $38,959.00 – $54,081.00 | 6.00% |
| $54,081.00 – $68,350.00 | 8.00% |
| $68,350.00 – $349,137.00 | 9.30% |
| $349,137.00 – $418,961.00 | 10.30% |
| $418,961.00 – $698,271.00 | 11.30% |
| $698,271.00 and above | 12.33% |
Some California municipalities also levy a local income tax on top of the state rate. This generator calculates state tax only — add local withholding separately if it applies where you work.
Worked example: $25/hour in California
An hourly employee earning $25.00 an hour, working 80 hours in a bi-weekly period, filing single:
| Gross pay | $2,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (2026 estimate) | −$156.15 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$124.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$29.00 |
| California income tax (2024 table) | −$67.04 |
| Net pay | $1,623.81 |
That is 81.2% of gross pay in this estimate. Federal income tax is a 2026 estimate from IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A (standard percentage method, Step 2 not checked, no other Form W-4 adjustments). Social Security is 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Medicare is 1.45%, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages this employer pays above $200,000. State income tax uses 2024 rate tables that were not re-checked against 2026 state agencies. A bonus typed here is included in the period's wages and is not withheld at the 22% supplemental rate. This is an estimate, not payroll or tax advice.
Make your California pay stub now
Free: 3 PDFs every 24 hours. 2026 federal estimate and 2024 CA tables. Real employee and contractor records only.
Open the generatorOther California documents
Need a California W-2 or a 1099 instead of a pay stub? JustPayStubs.com handles those. For California bills of sale, invoices, contracts and other business paperwork, see iRunDocs.com.