Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Petroleum Engineers actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 31.3% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Petroleum Engineers earning $143,590 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $143,590 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$24,000 | 16.7% |
| California State Income Tax | -$10,006 | 7.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$8,902 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$2,082 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$44,991 | 31.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $98,598 | 68.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Petroleum Engineers in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $61,780 | -$12,642 | $49,137 | 20.5% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $126,500 | -$37,993 | $88,506 | 30.0% |
| Median (P50) | $143,590 | -$44,991 | $98,598 | 31.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $171,980 | -$56,407 | $115,572 | 32.8% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $207,370 | -$68,837 | $138,532 | 33.2% |
A Petroleum Engineers in California faces a combined 31.3% effective tax rate, taking home $98,598 out of $143,590. The progressive (up to 13.3%) adds $10,006 on top of federal and FICA taxes. In a no-income-tax state, this salary would yield approximately $108,605 — a difference of $10,006/year.
A Petroleum Engineers in California loses 31.3% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $143,590 gross, $98,599 lands in the paycheck after federal ($24,000), state ($10,007), and FICA ($10,985) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Petroleum Engineers salary the state tax works out to $10,007 (7.0% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Petroleum Engineers salary is $24,000 (53%), but combined state ($10,007, 22%) + FICA ($10,985, 24%) make up the other 47% of the bill.
The state-tax gap is substantial: a Petroleum Engineers earning this gross in a no-income-tax state would net about $108,605 — an extra $10,007 (10.1%) annually compared with California.
California ranks #9 of 16 states for Petroleum Engineers after-tax pay — lower half of the national distribution. Either gross wages trail the national median, state tax is elevated, or both.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $98,599 net/year works out to $8,217/month or $3,792/bi-weekly for this Petroleum Engineers in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Petroleum Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #9 out of 16 states for Petroleum Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Petroleum Engineers in California earning a median salary of $143,590 will take home approximately $98,598 per year after federal income tax ($24,000), state income tax ($10,006), and FICA ($10,984). That is $8,216 per month or $3,792 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Petroleum Engineers in California is 31.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 16.7%, California state tax 7.0%, 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 Petroleum Engineers's median salary of $143,590, the state income tax amounts to $10,006 per year, which is an effective state rate of 7.0%.
After all taxes, a Petroleum Engineers in California takes home approximately $8,216 per month, or about $47.40 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 $143,590 for Petroleum 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 — $98,598/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