Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Median $26.64 an hour in California · 158,630 jobs
California · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in California
At $26 an hour in California you keep about $20.98 of every hour — $839 a week, $3,637 a month or $43,646 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 $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| California income tax | −$1,284 | −$25 | −$0.62 |
| SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave) | −$703 | −$14 | −$0.34 |
| Take-home pay | $43,646 | $839 | $20.98 |
Effective tax rate 19.3% · federal bracket 12% · California bracket 6%.
SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave): 1.3% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $1,040.00 | $839.34 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,678.69 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,818.58 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,637.16 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in California for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 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* | $520 | $449 | $23,363 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $647 | $33,638 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $839 | $43,646 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $981 | $51,034 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,105 | $57,452 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in California?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 1.5 times California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour. Many cities set higher local minimums.
- Among California workers: It's about the 44th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 44 in 100 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 $43,646 a year buys about what $39,420 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,819 a month for needs, $1,091 for wants and $727 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in California that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in California is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Median $26.20 an hour in California · 115,050 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
Median $26.38 an hour in California · 109,180 jobs
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Median $26.11 an hour in California · 61,130 jobs
Pharmacy Technicians
Median $26.50 an hour in California · 39,860 jobs
Sales and Related Workers, All Other
Median $25.39 an hour in California · 28,480 jobs
How California compares on $26 an hour
California ranks 35th of 51 for take-home pay on $26 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the California income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of California wages minus $5,706 standard deduction = $48,374.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | $11,079 | $111 |
| 2% | $15,185 | $304 |
| 4% | $15,188 | $608 |
| 6% | $6,922 | $415 |
| Personal credits | — | −$153 |
| Total | $48,374 | $1,284 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in California?
About $20.98 for every hour you work, or $43,646 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 19.3% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in California?
About $839 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,679.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in California?
About $3,637 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in California?
$26 an hour is 1.5 times California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour. It's about the 44th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 44 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in California is $28.00. After taxes and local prices, $43,646 a year buys about what $39,420 would at national-average prices.
Is California a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 35th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in California
- $22 an hour in California
- $23 an hour in California
- $24 an hour in California
- $25 an hour in California
- $27 an hour in California
- $28 an hour in California
- $29 an hour in California
- $30 an hour in California
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in California · $55,000 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.