Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Materials Engineers actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 30.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Materials Engineers earning $128,470 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $128,470 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$20,371 | 15.9% |
| California State Income Tax | -$8,600 | 6.7% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,965 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,862 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$38,799 | 30.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $89,670 | 69.8% |
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) | $82,460 | -$20,612 | $61,847 | 25.0% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $103,250 | -$28,709 | $74,540 | 27.8% |
| Median (P50) | $128,470 | -$38,799 | $89,670 | 30.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $157,980 | -$50,884 | $107,095 | 32.2% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $183,880 | -$60,542 | $123,337 | 32.9% |
A Materials Engineers in California faces a combined 30.2% effective tax rate, taking home $89,670 out of $128,470. The progressive (up to 13.3%) adds $8,600 on top of federal and FICA taxes. In a no-income-tax state, this salary would yield approximately $98,270 — a difference of $8,600/year.
A Materials Engineers in California loses 30.2% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $128,470 gross, $89,670 lands in the paycheck after federal ($20,371), state ($8,601), and FICA ($9,828) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Materials Engineers salary the state tax works out to $8,601 (6.7% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Materials Engineers salary is $20,371 (53%), but combined state ($8,601, 22%) + FICA ($9,828, 25%) make up the other 47% of the bill.
The state-tax gap is substantial: a Materials Engineers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state would net about $98,271 — an extra $8,601 (9.6%) annually compared with California.
For Materials Engineers after-tax pay, California ranks #11 of 45 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $89,670 net/year works out to $7,473/month or $3,449/bi-weekly for this Materials Engineers in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Materials Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #11 out of 45 states for Materials Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Materials Engineers in California earning a median salary of $128,470 will take home approximately $89,670 per year after federal income tax ($20,371), state income tax ($8,600), and FICA ($9,827). That is $7,472 per month or $3,448 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Materials Engineers in California is 30.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.9%, California state tax 6.7%, 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 Materials Engineers's median salary of $128,470, the state income tax amounts to $8,600 per year, which is an effective state rate of 6.7%.
After all taxes, a Materials Engineers in California takes home approximately $7,472 per month, or about $43.11 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 $128,470 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 — $89,670/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