Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Median $28.96 an hour in California · 205,090 jobs
California · 2026 take-home pay
$28 an hour after taxes in California
At $28 an hour in California you keep about $22.44 of every hour — $898 a week, $3,890 a month or $46,685 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 $28 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $58,240 | $1,120 | $28.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,809 | −$92 | −$2.31 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,611 | −$69 | −$1.74 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$844 | −$16 | −$0.41 |
| California income tax | −$1,534 | −$29 | −$0.74 |
| SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave) | −$757 | −$15 | −$0.36 |
| Take-home pay | $46,685 | $898 | $22.44 |
Effective tax rate 19.8% · 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) | $1,120.00 | $897.78 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,240.00 | $1,795.57 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,426.67 | $1,945.20 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,853.33 | $3,890.40 |
$28 an hour at different hours
Take-home in California for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $28 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* | $560 | $481 | $24,995 |
| 30 hours a week | $840 | $692 | $35,979 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,120 | $898 | $46,685 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,330 | $1,044 | $54,278 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,540 | $1,172 | $60,923 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $28 an hour good pay in California?
- Minimum wage: $28 an hour is 1.7 times California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour. Many cities set higher local minimums.
- Among California workers: It's about the 50th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 50 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 $46,685 a year buys about what $42,165 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,456 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,945 a month for needs, $1,167 for wants and $778 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in California that pay about $28 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in California is within 4% of $28 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $28.48 an hour in California · 151,870 jobs
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Median $27.41 an hour in California · 143,060 jobs
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
Median $28.99 an hour in California · 115,660 jobs
Construction Laborers
Median $28.98 an hour in California · 88,240 jobs
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
Median $28.48 an hour in California · 75,610 jobs
How California compares on $28 an hour
California ranks 37th of 51 for take-home pay on $28 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
How the federal tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $42,140. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $29,740 | $3,569 |
| Total | $42,140 | $4,809 |
How the California income tax on $58,240 ($28 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $58,240 of California wages minus $5,706 standard deduction = $52,534.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | $11,079 | $111 |
| 2% | $15,185 | $304 |
| 4% | $15,188 | $608 |
| 6% | $11,082 | $665 |
| Personal credits | — | −$153 |
| Total | $52,534 | $1,534 |
Common questions
How much is $28 an hour after taxes in California?
About $22.44 for every hour you work, or $46,685 a year at 40 hours a week ($58,240 gross). Taxes take about 19.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $28 an hour a week after taxes in California?
About $898 a week at 40 hours, from $1,120 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,796.
How much is $28 an hour a month after taxes in California?
About $3,890 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,853 gross.
Is $28 an hour good pay in California?
$28 an hour is 1.7 times California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour. It's about the 50th percentile of hourly pay in California (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 50 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in California is $28.00. After taxes and local prices, $46,685 a year buys about what $42,165 would at national-average prices.
Is California a high-tax state for $28 an hour?
It ranks 37th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $28 an hour. The most you'd keep is $48,976 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $44,730 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in California
- $24 an hour in California
- $25 an hour in California
- $26 an hour in California
- $27 an hour in California
- $29 an hour in California
- $30 an hour in California
- $31 an hour in California
- $32 an hour in California
$28 an hour in every state · $55,000 a year in California · $60,000 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.