Sacramento paycheck calculator (2026)
Sacramento follows the California state minimum wage of $16.50/hr, no city-specific minimum. Distinctive labor market: state government (CalPERS pension + Savings Plus 401k/457b stack), UC Davis Health, Intel manufacturing in Folsom. Lower cost of living than coastal California.
Tax outcomes depend on your specific situation. This page summarises 2026 published guidance from the California Department of Industrial Relations, the California FTB, CalPERS, and HUD Fair Market Rent FY 2026. State employees with CalPERS pension and Savings Plus 401k/457(b) stacks should consult a financial planner familiar with PEPRA and California public-sector retirement.
Sacramento: state-government anchored, lower cost of living
Sacramento's labor market is heavily anchored by California state government. The State Capitol, the dozens of agency headquarters (Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Health Care Services, Caltrans, Department of Education, etc.), the California Highway Patrol HQ, and the CalPERS / CalSTRS investment offices employ tens of thousands of state employees concentrated in downtown and midtown Sacramento. UC Davis Health, located in the Sacramento metro, is another major employer with several thousand healthcare workers. Intel's manufacturing facility in Folsom (eastern Sacramento County) employs several thousand semiconductor workers. The remainder of Sacramento's labor market is healthcare, education, retail, and professional services, broadly typical of mid-size U.S. metros.
Sacramento's defining advantage from a take-home perspective is cost of living. Per HUD's Fair Market Rent FY 2026 schedule (published October 2025), the FMR for a one-bedroom apartment in Sacramento County is approximately $1,510/month, roughly 54% of San Francisco's $2,795 and 70% of LA's $2,160. The two-bedroom FMR in Sacramento County is $1,915, vs $3,495 in SF (55% ratio). The combined effect: a worker earning $75,000 in Sacramento (with monthly take-home of approximately $4,800) faces a one-bedroom rent-to-income ratio of about 31%, close to the conventional 30% affordability threshold. The same worker in San Francisco at $2,795 FMR would face a 58% ratio. The Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 OEWS shows the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA median wage at approximately $58,000-$62,000 across all occupations, slightly above California statewide.
Sacramento take-home table
| Annual gross | Federal tax | CA state tax | Annual take-home | Biweekly net | ETR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,762 | $774 | $32,964 | $1,268 | 17.6% |
| $55,000 | $4,562 | $1,565 | $44,061 | $1,695 | 19.9% |
| $70,000 | $7,014 | $2,644 | $54,217 | $2,085 | 22.5% |
| $85,000 | $10,314 | $3,964 | $63,285 | $2,434 | 25.5% |
| $100,000 | $13,614 | $5,359 | $72,277 | $2,780 | 27.7% |
| $120,000 | $18,047 | $7,219 | $84,234 | $3,240 | 29.8% |
| $150,000 | $25,247 | $10,009 | $101,619 | $3,908 | 32.3% |
CalPERS, PEPRA, and the Savings Plus stack for state workers
California state employees in Sacramento have a distinctive retirement plan stack. The defined-benefit foundation is CalPERS, the California Public Employees' Retirement System. State Miscellaneous Tier 1 employees (the largest category) contribute approximately 8% of pay as a pre-tax payroll deduction to fund the pension. PEPRA (Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013) created a new tier with lower benefit factors and higher contribution rates for employees hired after January 1, 2013. PEPRA-tier employees have lower lifetime pensions but the contribution rates are similar to Tier 1 in dollar terms. CalPERS contributions reduce federal taxable income but NOT California taxable income (per the FTB conformity rule analogous to the 401k treatment).
On top of the CalPERS pension, state workers can contribute to Savings Plus, the state-administered 401(k) and 457(b) deferred compensation plans. The 2026 IRS contribution limit is $23,500 each (with $7,500 catch-up for age 50+). Workers can contribute to BOTH the 401(k) and the 457(b), allowing total deferral up to $47,000 of pre-tax federal taxable income annually (or $62,000 with catch-up). The 457(b) has a unique feature: penalty-free withdrawals upon separation from service regardless of age, making it a useful early-retirement bridge vehicle. California Savings Plus has both pre-tax and Roth options for both the 401(k) and 457(b). Pre-tax contributions reduce federal taxable income but not California taxable income (per FTB Pub 1005). Roth contributions reduce neither in the contribution year.
For a $100,000 California state employee maxing both Savings Plus pre-tax 401(k) ($23,500) and 457(b) ($23,500), federal taxable income drops by $47,000, saving approximately $11,280 in federal income tax (24% bracket on the marginal contributions). California state tax is unchanged. Combined with the 8% CalPERS pension contribution (~$8,000 federal pre-tax, $0 California pre-tax), the worker effectively defers $55,000 of federal taxable income while building both pension entitlement and Savings Plus assets. The mechanics for $100k-$130k California earners: $100k after taxes, $130k after taxes.
Compare Sacramento with other California metros
Sacramento paycheck, common questions
Sacramento paycheck calculations on this page reflect 2026 published rates from the California FTB, IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-28, the California DIR, CalPERS member benefit publications, and HUD Fair Market Rent FY 2026. State employees with CalPERS + Savings Plus retirement stacks should consult a financial planner familiar with PEPRA and California public-sector retirement.