Take-Home Pay by State: 2026 State-by-State Comparison
State taxes can materially change take-home pay, but a headline income-tax rate is not the whole paycheck. Using a consistent 2026 single-filer benchmark, a $100,000 salary is about $79,180 after estimated federal income tax and employee FICA in Texas or Florida, versus about $72,151 in California after estimated California PIT withholding and 1.3% SDI. This guide separates comparable benchmark math from broader state-tax structure so you can see what the numbers do — and do not — include.
On this page: Take-home by state table · How state tax works · No-tax states · Hourly workers · Job offers and relocation · FAQs
2026 take-home pay benchmarks: Texas, Florida, and California
These benchmark rows use a common methodology: single filer, $16,100 federal standard deduction, no pre-tax payroll deductions, employee Social Security and Medicare, and the site's validated 2026 California withholding model where applicable. Texas and Florida impose no individual wage income tax; California adds estimated PIT withholding and 1.3% SDI.
| State | State-level treatment modeled | $60k | $75k | $100k | $150k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | No individual wage income tax | ~$50,390 | ~$61,592 | ~$79,180 | ~$113,791 |
| Florida | No individual wage income tax | ~$50,390 | ~$61,592 | ~$79,180 | ~$113,791 |
| California | Estimated PIT withholding + 1.3% SDI | ~$47,638 | ~$57,397 | ~$72,151 | ~$100,997 |
Planning estimates, not filing results. They exclude benefits, retirement contributions, itemized deductions, tax credits, local taxes, and other employer/state payroll deductions. California uses the site's 2026 EDD-based withholding baseline; actual California income-tax liability can differ from paycheck withholding.
Federal assumptions are based on the IRS's 2026 tax brackets and standard deduction and 2026 employee FICA rates. California's 1.3% SDI rate is published by the California EDD.
How state taxes and payroll programs affect a paycheck
Federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare use federal rules. What changes by location can include state income tax, local income tax, and state payroll programs. That means two workers with identical gross pay can have different net pay even when neither state uses a conventional wage income tax.
At $100,000 under the benchmark above, federal income tax is about $13,170 and employee FICA is about $7,650. Texas and Florida add no individual wage income tax, leaving about $79,180 before other deductions. California adds about $5,729 of estimated PIT withholding and $1,300 of SDI, leaving about $72,151 under the same federal assumptions.
This is why a state's top marginal rate should not be multiplied by gross salary to estimate take-home pay. State deductions, exemptions, credits, graduated brackets, local taxes, and payroll programs can all matter.
For a full explanation of how federal, state, and payroll taxes layer together, see federal vs state vs payroll taxes. To understand marginal versus average tax rates, see effective tax rate explained.
States with no individual tax on wage income in 2026
Nine states do not levy an individual income tax on wage or salary income in 2026: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Washington taxes certain capital gains, but not ordinary wage income. New Hampshire's former tax on interest and dividends was repealed effective in 2025.
Tax Foundation's current 2026 state-rate compilation is a useful cross-state reference for tax structure, while each state's own tax agency remains the source to use for filing details: 2026 state individual income-tax structures.
| Salary | Federal + employee FICA baseline | California benchmark | Difference vs California |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | ~$42,355 | ~$40,393 | ~+$1,962/yr |
| $75,000 | ~$61,592 | ~$57,397 | ~+$4,195/yr |
| $100,000 | ~$79,180 | ~$72,151 | ~+$7,029/yr |
| $150,000 | ~$113,791 | ~$100,997 | ~+$12,794/yr |
The federal + FICA column is the Texas/Florida benchmark used by this site. Do not assume every no-wage-income-tax state produces an identical paycheck: state payroll premiums, local taxes, and employer deductions can still differ.
Income-tax savings are not the same as total cost-of-living savings
A lower state income-tax bill can improve cash pay, but housing costs, property taxes, sales taxes, insurance, commuting costs, and public-benefit payroll programs can offset part of the difference. For a relocation decision, compare the paycheck effect first, then model the rest of the household budget separately instead of treating "no state income tax" as a universal cost-of-living verdict.
For state-specific planning, see the Texas take-home pay guide and best states for high income earners.
Take-home pay by state for hourly workers (2026)
Hourly wages are subject to the same income-tax systems as salary. For a consistent comparison, the table below annualizes 40 hours per week for 52 weeks, applies the same single-filer federal assumptions, and converts the annual estimate back to an average weekly amount.
| Hourly Rate | Annual Gross | Texas / Florida benchmark | California benchmark | Annual Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15/hour | $31,200 | ~$524/wk | ~$508/wk | ~$845 |
| $20/hour | $41,600 | ~$685/wk | ~$657/wk | ~$1,420 |
| $25/hour | $52,000 | ~$845/wk | ~$805/wk | ~$2,120 |
| $30/hour | $62,400 | ~$1,006/wk | ~$950/wk | ~$2,941 |
Average weekly equivalents from annualized estimates, not a payroll-withholding guarantee. Overtime, unpaid weeks, benefits, pre-tax deductions, credits, and actual withholding elections can change a paycheck.
Comparing job offers and relocation decisions
A lower gross salary can still produce more cash pay
Under this site's 2026 baseline, a $90,000 Texas salary is about $72,145 after estimated federal income tax and employee FICA. A $95,000 California salary is about $69,210 after comparable federal/FICA treatment plus estimated California PIT withholding and SDI. In that narrow tax-only comparison, the lower Texas gross salary produces about $2,935 more annual cash pay.
That does not make the Texas job automatically better. Health benefits, retirement match, paid time off, housing, insurance, commuting costs, and career value can outweigh the tax difference.
Relocating without a raise
At $100,000, the benchmark difference between California and Texas is about $7,029 per year. If salary and tax rules stayed unchanged for ten years, that simple arithmetic would total about $70,290 before investment returns. In reality, compensation and tax law change, so a multi-year figure should be treated as a scenario rather than a forecast.
Use the state take-home pay comparison tool for planning, and the relocation tax impact calculator to include moving costs.
Remote work can create multi-state issues
Remote work is not always taxed only where you live. Employer location, days worked in another state, reciprocity agreements, resident credits, and some states' sourcing rules can create filing obligations. If a move or remote-work arrangement crosses state lines, treat the paycheck comparison as a starting point and verify residency and sourcing rules for the states involved.
State take-home pay calculators
- Compare take-home pay by state (side-by-side tool) Enter one salary and compare any 2–3 states instantly
- Best states for take-home pay (ranked) Full state ranking at $50k, $75k, and $100k salary levels
- Texas take-home pay calculator No individual wage income tax — $100k benchmark ≈ $79,180/yr
- California take-home pay calculator 2026 PIT withholding + 1.3% SDI — $100k benchmark ≈ $72,151/yr
- New York take-home pay calculator Model New York State tax with an optional NYC local-tax estimate
- Florida take-home pay calculator No individual wage income tax; compare federal/FICA baseline
- Washington take-home pay calculator No individual wage income tax; state payroll programs may still apply
- All 50 states paycheck calculators State directory plus comparison tools for reviewed state models
Filing taxes in a new state?
Relocating or comparing states often means a part-year state return or multi-state filing. These filing tools support common multi-state return workflows:
TurboTax↗ — supports multi-state and part-year return workflows
FreeTaxUSA↗ — offers federal filing with optional paid state-return filing
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Related guides
- Effective tax rate explained Why your effective rate is always lower than your top bracket
- Marginal vs effective tax rate When to use each rate — includes worked examples
- Gross vs net income Full breakdown of every deduction from gross pay to take-home
- Federal vs state vs payroll taxes How the three tax layers combine to determine your total effective rate
- California take-home pay guide Full breakdown of CA state tax, SDI, and how California compares to Texas
- Texas take-home pay guide No state income tax — how much more you keep vs California and New York
Take-home pay by state: FAQs
Why does the same salary result in different take-home pay by state?
Federal income tax and federal payroll-tax rules are national, but state income tax, local income tax, and state payroll programs vary. At $100,000 under this site's standardized 2026 benchmark, Texas or Florida is about $79,180 after estimated federal tax and employee FICA, while California is about $72,151 after estimated California PIT withholding and 1.3% SDI.
Which states do not tax wage or salary income?
In 2026, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not levy an individual income tax on wage or salary income. That does not guarantee identical paychecks because local taxes, state payroll programs, benefits, and employer deductions can still differ.
Is living in a no-income-tax state always financially better?
No. A state without an individual wage income tax can produce a lower income-tax bill, but total household cost depends on housing, property and sales taxes, insurance, transportation, benefits, and other state or local charges. Compare the tax effect separately from the broader cost-of-living decision.
How much does California reduce take-home pay versus Texas in this benchmark?
Using the site's 2026 single-filer assumptions, the estimated California-versus-Texas difference is about $1,962 at $50,000 of salary, $4,195 at $75,000, $7,029 at $100,000, and $12,794 at $150,000. The California side includes estimated PIT withholding and 1.3% SDI; actual returns and paychecks can differ.
What is the best way to compare job offers across states?
Start with the same gross-pay and filing assumptions, compare federal/payroll/state tax components, and then add benefits and living costs separately. For example, this site's 2026 benchmark puts a $90,000 Texas salary near $72,145 and a $95,000 California salary near $69,210, but compensation and cost-of-living differences can easily outweigh that tax-only gap.
Do state taxes affect hourly workers differently from salaried workers?
The tax rules generally apply to wages regardless of whether compensation is quoted hourly or annually. The practical difference is that hours and overtime can vary. At $20 per hour for 40 hours a week and 52 weeks, this site's annualized benchmark is about $685 per week in Texas/Florida and $657 per week in California before benefits and other deductions.