How much does a Materials Engineers actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 29.3% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2024 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-04-02
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Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Materials Engineers earning $118,270 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $118,270 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$17,923 | 15.2% |
| California State Income Tax | -$7,651 | 6.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,332 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,714 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$34,622 | 29.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $83,647 | 70.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Materials Engineers in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $78,350 | -$19,011 | $59,338 | 24.3% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $97,660 | -$26,532 | $71,127 | 27.2% |
| Median (P50) | $118,270 | -$34,622 | $83,647 | 29.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $145,000 | -$45,568 | $99,431 | 31.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $173,300 | -$56,866 | $116,433 | 32.8% |
After federal income tax ($17,923), state tax ($7,651), and FICA ($9,047), a Materials Engineers in California takes home $83,647 per year — or $6,970 per month. The effective tax rate of 29.3% is moderate compared to the national range.
Where does a Materials Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #9 out of 44 states for Materials Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Materials Engineers in California earning a median salary of $118,270 will take home approximately $83,647 per year after federal income tax ($17,923), state income tax ($7,651), and FICA ($9,047). That is $6,970 per month or $3,217 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Materials Engineers in California is 29.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.2%, California state tax 6.5%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
California has a progressive (up to 13.3%). On a Materials Engineers's median salary of $118,270, the state income tax amounts to $7,651 per year, which is an effective state rate of 6.5%.
After all taxes, a Materials Engineers in California takes home approximately $6,970 per month, or about $40.21 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 2024 BLS median salary of $118,270 for Materials 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 — $83,647/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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