Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median $16.50 an hour in California · 970,150 jobs
California · 2026 take-home pay
$17 an hour after taxes in California
At $17 an hour in California you keep about $14.30 of every hour — $572 a week, $2,478 a month or $29,735 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 $17 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $35,360 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,192 | −$42 | −$1.05 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$513 | −$10 | −$0.25 |
| California income tax | −$397 | −$8 | −$0.19 |
| SDI (State Disability Insurance, includes Paid Family Leave) | −$460 | −$9 | −$0.22 |
| Take-home pay | $29,735 | $572 | $14.30 |
Effective tax rate 15.9% · 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) | $680.00 | $571.83 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,360.00 | $1,143.65 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,473.33 | $1,238.96 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,946.67 | $2,477.92 |
$17 an hour at different hours
Take-home in California for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $17 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* | $340 | $307 | $15,940 |
| 30 hours a week | $510 | $441 | $22,952 |
| 40 hours a week | $680 | $572 | $29,735 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $808 | $668 | $34,711 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $935 | $763 | $39,657 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $17 an hour good pay in California?
- Minimum wage: $17 an hour is just above California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour ($0.10 more). 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 $29,735 a year buys about what $26,856 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $884 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,239 a month for needs, $743 for wants and $496 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in California that pay about $17 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in California is within 4% of $17 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Waiters and Waitresses
Median $17.35 an hour in California · 229,970 jobs
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Median $17.11 an hour in California · 172,260 jobs
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Median $17.31 an hour in California · 75,460 jobs
Bartenders
Median $17.41 an hour in California · 71,470 jobs
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median $17.62 an hour in California · 41,100 jobs
How California compares on $17 an hour
California ranks 26th of 51 for take-home pay on $17 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
How the federal tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $19,260. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $6,860 | $823 |
| Total | $19,260 | $2,063 |
How the California income tax on $35,360 ($17 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $35,360 of California wages minus $5,706 standard deduction = $29,654.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | $11,079 | $111 |
| 2% | $15,185 | $304 |
| 4% | $3,390 | $136 |
| Personal credits | — | −$153 |
| Total | $29,654 | $397 |
Common questions
How much is $17 an hour after taxes in California?
About $14.30 for every hour you work, or $29,735 a year at 40 hours a week ($35,360 gross). Taxes take about 15.9% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $17 an hour a week after taxes in California?
About $572 a week at 40 hours, from $680 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,144.
How much is $17 an hour a month after taxes in California?
About $2,478 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,947 gross.
Is $17 an hour good pay in California?
$17 an hour is just above California's minimum wage of $16.90 an hour ($0.10 more). 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, $29,735 a year buys about what $26,856 would at national-average prices.
Is California a high-tax state for $17 an hour?
It ranks 26th of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $17 an hour. The most you'd keep is $30,592 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $28,267 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in California
- $13 an hour in California
- $14 an hour in California
- $15 an hour in California
- $16 an hour in California
- $18 an hour in California
- $19 an hour in California
- $20 an hour in California
- $21 an hour in California
$17 an hour in every state · $35,000 a year in California · $40,000 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.