Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Civil Engineers actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 29.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Civil Engineers earning $122,500 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $122,500 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$18,938 | 15.5% |
| California State Income Tax | -$8,045 | 6.6% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,595 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,776 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$36,355 | 29.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $86,144 | 70.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Civil Engineers in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $77,980 | -$18,867 | $59,112 | 24.2% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $96,590 | -$26,115 | $70,474 | 27.0% |
| Median (P50) | $122,500 | -$36,355 | $86,144 | 29.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $149,350 | -$47,350 | $101,999 | 31.7% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $175,940 | -$57,783 | $118,156 | 32.8% |
After federal income tax ($18,938), state tax ($8,045), and FICA ($9,371), a Civil Engineers in California takes home $86,144 per year — or $7,178 per month. The effective tax rate of 29.7% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Civil Engineers in California loses 29.7% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $122,500 gross, $86,145 lands in the paycheck after federal ($18,938), state ($8,045), and FICA ($9,371) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Civil Engineers salary the state tax works out to $8,045 (6.6% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Civil Engineers salary is $18,938 (52%), but combined state ($8,045, 22%) + FICA ($9,371, 26%) make up the other 48% of the bill.
The state-tax gap is substantial: a Civil Engineers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state would net about $94,190 — an extra $8,045 (9.3%) annually compared with California.
For Civil Engineers after-tax pay, California ranks #2 of 51 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $86,145 net/year works out to $7,179/month or $3,313/bi-weekly for this Civil Engineers in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Civil Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #2 out of 51 states for Civil Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Civil Engineers in California earning a median salary of $122,500 will take home approximately $86,144 per year after federal income tax ($18,938), state income tax ($8,045), and FICA ($9,371). That is $7,178 per month or $3,313 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Civil Engineers in California is 29.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.5%, California state tax 6.6%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
California has a progressive (up to 13.3%). On a Civil Engineers's median salary of $122,500, the state income tax amounts to $8,045 per year, which is an effective state rate of 6.6%.
After all taxes, a Civil Engineers in California takes home approximately $7,178 per month, or about $41.42 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $122,500 for Civil Engineers in California, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), California state income tax (progressive (up to 13.3%)), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $86,144/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR