How much does a Physician Assistants actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 32.2% 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 Physician Assistants earning $157,490 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $157,490 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$27,336 | 17.4% |
| California State Income Tax | -$11,299 | 7.2% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$9,764 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$2,283 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$50,683 | 32.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $106,806 | 67.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Physician Assistants in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $84,450 | -$21,387 | $63,062 | 25.3% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $127,570 | -$38,431 | $89,138 | 30.1% |
| Median (P50) | $157,490 | -$50,683 | $106,806 | 32.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $176,810 | -$58,086 | $118,723 | 32.9% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $209,890 | -$69,937 | $139,952 | 33.3% |
A Physician Assistants in California faces a combined 32.2% effective tax rate, taking home $106,806 out of $157,490. The progressive (up to 13.3%) adds $11,299 on top of federal and FICA taxes. In a no-income-tax state, this salary would yield approximately $118,105 — a difference of $11,299/year.
Where does a Physician Assistants keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #4 out of 50 states for Physician Assistants after-tax take-home pay.
A Physician Assistants in California earning a median salary of $157,490 will take home approximately $106,806 per year after federal income tax ($27,336), state income tax ($11,299), and FICA ($12,047). That is $8,900 per month or $4,107 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Physician Assistants in California is 32.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 17.4%, California state tax 7.2%, 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 Physician Assistants's median salary of $157,490, the state income tax amounts to $11,299 per year, which is an effective state rate of 7.2%.
After all taxes, a Physician Assistants in California takes home approximately $8,900 per month, or about $51.35 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 $157,490 for Physician Assistants 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 — $106,806/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