Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $16.50 an hour in California · 970,150 jobs
California · 2026 take-home pay
$16 an hour after taxes in California
At $16 an hour in California you keep about $13.55 of every hour — $542 a week, $2,348 a month or $28,174 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, California income tax and state payroll programs. California has a graduated income tax plus SDI, and its minimum wage is $16.90 an hour.
Where $16 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $33,280 | $640 | $16.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,814 | −$35 | −$0.87 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$483 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| California income tax | −$314 | −$6 | −$0.15 |
| SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave) | −$433 | −$8 | −$0.21 |
| Take-home pay | $28,174 | $542 | $13.55 |
Effective tax rate 15.3% · federal bracket 12% · California bracket 4%.
SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave): 1.3% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $640.00 | $541.81 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,280.00 | $1,083.61 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,386.67 | $1,173.91 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,773.33 | $2,347.83 |
$16 an hour at different hours
Take-home in California for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $320 | $290 | $15,097 |
| 30 hours a week | $480 | $418 | $21,719 |
| 40 hours a week | $640 | $542 | $28,174 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $760 | $632 | $32,857 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $880 | $722 | $37,540 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $16 an hour good pay in California?
- Minimum wage: $16 an hour is below California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. Many cities set higher local minimums.
- Among California workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $28.00 an hour.
- Local prices: California's price level is 110.7% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $28,174 a year buys about what $25,446 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,174 a month for needs, $704 for wants and $470 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in California that pay about $16 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in California is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Motorboat Operators
Median $16.62 an hour in California · 190 jobs
How California compares on $16 an hour
California ranks 24th of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $4,780 | $574 |
| Total | $17,180 | $1,814 |
How the California income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 of California wages minus $5,706 standard deduction = $27,574.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | $11,079 | $111 |
| 2% | $15,185 | $304 |
| 4% | $1,310 | $52 |
| Personal credits | — | −$153 |
| Total | $27,574 | $314 |
Common questions
How much is $16 an hour after taxes in California?
About $13.55 for every hour you work, or $28,174 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 15.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in California?
About $542 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,084.
How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in California?
About $2,348 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.
Is $16 an hour good pay in California?
$16 an hour is below California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour, so most employers there can't pay it. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in California is $28.00. After taxes and local prices, $28,174 a year buys about what $25,446 would at national-average prices.
Is California a high-tax state for $16 an hour?
It ranks 24th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in California
- $12 an hour in California
- $13 an hour in California
- $14 an hour in California
- $15 an hour in California
- $17 an hour in California
- $18 an hour in California
- $19 an hour in California
- $20 an hour in California
$16 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in California · $35,000 a year in California · California paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, California's income tax rules and California's employee payroll programs (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.