Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Ship Engineers actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 27.2% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Ship Engineers earning $97,660 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $97,660 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$13,326 | 13.6% |
| California State Income Tax | -$5,735 | 5.9% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,054 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,416 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$26,532 | 27.2% |
| Take-Home Pay | $71,127 | 72.8% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Ship Engineers in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $80,820 | -$19,973 | $60,846 | 24.7% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $84,620 | -$21,453 | $63,166 | 25.4% |
| Median (P50) | $97,660 | -$26,532 | $71,127 | 27.2% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $157,070 | -$50,511 | $106,558 | 32.2% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $169,280 | -$55,469 | $113,810 | 32.8% |
After federal income tax ($13,326), state tax ($5,735), and FICA ($7,470), a Ship Engineers in California takes home $71,127 per year — or $5,927 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.2% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Ship Engineers in California loses 27.2% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $97,660 gross, $71,128 lands in the paycheck after federal ($13,326), state ($5,735), and FICA ($7,471) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Ship Engineers salary the state tax works out to $5,735 (5.9% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Ship Engineers salary is $13,326 (50%), but combined state ($5,735, 22%) + FICA ($7,471, 28%) make up the other 50% of the bill.
Moving this same Ship Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $76,863 net — a gain of $5,735 (8.1%) per year versus California.
California ranks #16 of 24 states for Ship 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, $71,128 net/year works out to $5,927/month or $2,736/bi-weekly for this Ship Engineers in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Ship Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #16 out of 24 states for Ship Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Ship Engineers in California earning a median salary of $97,660 will take home approximately $71,127 per year after federal income tax ($13,326), state income tax ($5,735), and FICA ($7,470). That is $5,927 per month or $2,735 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Ship Engineers in California is 27.2%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.6%, 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 Ship Engineers's median salary of $97,660, the state income tax amounts to $5,735 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.9%.
After all taxes, a Ship Engineers in California takes home approximately $5,927 per month, or about $34.20 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 $97,660 for Ship 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 — $71,127/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