Paycheck reality index in California
Paycheck reality index in California: shows what each occupation's median wage is really worth in California once federal tax, state tax and local costs are taken out.
Strongest occupation
$184,085
Family Medicine Physicians
Cost-of-living index used
1.1
100 = national average
| Rank | Occupation | Real spending power | After-tax pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physicians | $184,085 | $203,819 |
| 2 | General and Operations Managers | $92,319 | $102,216 |
| 3 | Dental Hygienists | $90,729 | $100,455 |
| 4 | Computer Systems Analysts | $89,654 | $99,265 |
| 5 | Software Developers | $84,474 | $93,530 |
| 6 | Elementary School Teachers | $72,683 | $80,475 |
| 7 | Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers | $72,513 | $80,286 |
| 8 | Accountants and Auditors | $69,016 | $76,415 |
| 9 | Electricians | $68,176 | $75,484 |
| 10 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $59,204 | $65,551 |
| 11 | Registered Nurses | $58,635 | $64,921 |
| 12 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $43,392 | $48,044 |
| 13 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $37,720 | $41,764 |
| 14 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,216 | $32,348 |
| 15 | Retail Salespersons | $22,887 | $25,340 |
Methodology
Each row starts from the median annual wage the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes for that occupation in California. That wage is run through the same payroll engine used by the site's paycheck and comfortable-salary calculators: current federal brackets and the California income tax schedule.
The after-tax figure is then divided by a cost-of-living index built from Census American Community Survey housing and rent data, where 100 is the national average. The result is real spending power — the number that lets you compare the same job across state lines.
Occupations without a published state wage are omitted rather than estimated, and every figure recomputes when the wage, tax or Census series is refreshed.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates; California department of revenue, current tax-year schedule. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2026.