$18 an hour after taxes in California.

About $31,080 a year, $2,590 a month, for a single filer paid every two weeks in 2026.

Every two weeks

$1,195.38

$1,440.00 gross, 17.0% in taxes. $31,080 a year in California.

Gross pay: $1,440.00
Federal income tax6.2% of gross: -$88.95
Social Security6.2% of gross: -$89.28
Medicare1.4% of gross: -$20.88
California income tax1.9% of gross: -$26.79
State Disability Insurance1.3% of gross: -$18.72
Take-home: $1,195.38

Per year, month, paycheck.

$18 an hour after taxes in California by filing status
Filing status	Year	Month	Week	Tax rate
Single	$31,080	$2,590	$598	17.0%
Married filing jointly	$33,111	$2,759	$637	11.6%
Head of household	$32,760	$2,730	$630	12.5%

Standard W-4 for each status, no pre-tax deductions, paid every two weeks, 2026 tables. Open the calculator to change any of it.

Other wages in California.

$18 an hour in other states.

Questions people ask

How much is $18 an hour after taxes in California?

About $31,080 a year for a single filer in 2026: $2,590 a month, $1,195.38 every two weeks.

$18 an hour is how much a year?

$37,440 before tax at 40 hours a week for 52 weeks.

How is federal income tax withheld from my paycheck?

Employers use the IRS percentage method in Publication 15-T: your pay for the period is annualized, adjusted by the entries on your Form W-4, run through the 2026 tables, and divided back by the number of pay periods.

How much Social Security and Medicare comes out?

6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% Additional Medicare once your wages for the year pass $200,000.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 30, 2026.