Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Soil and Plant Scientists actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 26.4% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Soil and Plant Scientists earning $91,930 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $91,930 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$12,065 | 13.1% |
| California State Income Tax | -$5,202 | 5.7% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,699 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,332 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$24,300 | 26.4% |
| Take-Home Pay | $67,629 | 73.6% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Soil and Plant Scientists in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $49,350 | -$9,297 | $40,052 | 18.8% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $73,270 | -$17,032 | $56,237 | 23.2% |
| Median (P50) | $91,930 | -$24,300 | $67,629 | 26.4% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $120,310 | -$35,458 | $84,851 | 29.5% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $154,830 | -$49,594 | $105,235 | 32.0% |
After federal income tax ($12,065), state tax ($5,202), and FICA ($7,032), a Soil and Plant Scientists in California takes home $67,629 per year — or $5,635 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.4% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Soil and Plant Scientists in California loses 26.4% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $91,930 gross, $67,629 lands in the paycheck after federal ($12,066), state ($5,202), and FICA ($7,033) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Soil and Plant Scientists salary the state tax works out to $5,202 (5.7% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Soil and Plant Scientists salary is $12,066 (50%), but combined state ($5,202, 21%) + FICA ($7,033, 29%) make up the other 50% of the bill.
Moving this same Soil and Plant Scientists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $72,832 net — a gain of $5,202 (7.7%) per year versus California.
For Soil and Plant Scientists after-tax pay, California ranks #7 of 46 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $67,629 net/year works out to $5,636/month or $2,601/bi-weekly for this Soil and Plant Scientists in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Soil and Plant Scientists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #7 out of 46 states for Soil and Plant Scientists after-tax take-home pay.
A Soil and Plant Scientists in California earning a median salary of $91,930 will take home approximately $67,629 per year after federal income tax ($12,065), state income tax ($5,202), and FICA ($7,032). That is $5,635 per month or $2,601 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Soil and Plant Scientists in California is 26.4%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.1%, California state tax 5.7%, 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 Soil and Plant Scientists's median salary of $91,930, the state income tax amounts to $5,202 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.7%.
After all taxes, a Soil and Plant Scientists in California takes home approximately $5,635 per month, or about $32.51 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 $91,930 for Soil and Plant Scientists 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 — $67,629/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
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