Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Landscape Architects actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 27.3% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Landscape Architects earning $98,380 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $98,380 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$13,484 | 13.7% |
| California State Income Tax | -$5,802 | 5.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,099 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,426 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$26,812 | 27.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $71,567 | 72.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Landscape Architects in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $60,600 | -$12,313 | $48,286 | 20.3% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $74,960 | -$17,690 | $57,269 | 23.6% |
| Median (P50) | $98,380 | -$26,812 | $71,567 | 27.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $132,220 | -$40,335 | $91,884 | 30.5% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $187,270 | -$61,720 | $125,549 | 33.0% |
After federal income tax ($13,484), state tax ($5,802), and FICA ($7,526), a Landscape Architects in California takes home $71,567 per year — or $5,963 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.3% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Landscape Architects in California loses 27.3% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $98,380 gross, $71,567 lands in the paycheck after federal ($13,485), state ($5,802), and FICA ($7,526) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Landscape Architects salary the state tax works out to $5,802 (5.9% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Landscape Architects salary is $13,485 (50%), but combined state ($5,802, 22%) + FICA ($7,526, 28%) make up the other 50% of the bill.
Moving this same Landscape Architects salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $77,369 net — a gain of $5,802 (8.1%) per year versus California.
For Landscape Architects after-tax pay, California ranks #3 of 41 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $71,567 net/year works out to $5,964/month or $2,753/bi-weekly for this Landscape Architects in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Landscape Architects keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #3 out of 41 states for Landscape Architects after-tax take-home pay.
A Landscape Architects in California earning a median salary of $98,380 will take home approximately $71,567 per year after federal income tax ($13,484), state income tax ($5,802), and FICA ($7,526). That is $5,963 per month or $2,752 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Landscape Architects in California is 27.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.7%, California state tax 5.9%, 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 Landscape Architects's median salary of $98,380, the state income tax amounts to $5,802 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.9%.
After all taxes, a Landscape Architects in California takes home approximately $5,963 per month, or about $34.41 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 $98,380 for Landscape Architects 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 — $71,567/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