Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Surgical Technologists actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 24.8% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Surgical Technologists earning $81,310 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $81,310 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$9,729 | 12.0% |
| California State Income Tax | -$4,214 | 5.2% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$5,041 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,179 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$20,164 | 24.8% |
| Take-Home Pay | $61,145 | 75.2% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Surgical Technologists in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $49,140 | -$9,243 | $39,896 | 18.8% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $64,380 | -$13,621 | $50,758 | 21.2% |
| Median (P50) | $81,310 | -$20,164 | $61,145 | 24.8% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $99,260 | -$27,155 | $72,104 | 27.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $115,740 | -$33,586 | $82,153 | 29.0% |
After federal income tax ($9,729), state tax ($4,214), and FICA ($6,220), a Surgical Technologists in California takes home $61,145 per year — or $5,095 per month. The effective tax rate of 24.8% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 24.8%, a Surgical Technologists in California keeps $61,146 of $81,310 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Surgical Technologists salary the state tax works out to $4,215 (5.2% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Surgical Technologists salary is $9,729 (48%), but combined state ($4,215, 21%) + FICA ($6,220, 31%) make up the other 52% of the bill.
Moving this same Surgical Technologists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $65,361 net — a gain of $4,215 (6.9%) per year versus California.
For Surgical Technologists after-tax pay, California ranks #4 of 51 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $61,146 net/year works out to $5,095/month or $2,352/bi-weekly for this Surgical Technologists in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Surgical Technologists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #4 out of 51 states for Surgical Technologists after-tax take-home pay.
A Surgical Technologists in California earning a median salary of $81,310 will take home approximately $61,145 per year after federal income tax ($9,729), state income tax ($4,214), and FICA ($6,220). That is $5,095 per month or $2,351 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Surgical Technologists in California is 24.8%, broken down as: federal income tax 12.0%, California state tax 5.2%, 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 Surgical Technologists's median salary of $81,310, the state income tax amounts to $4,214 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.2%.
After all taxes, a Surgical Technologists in California takes home approximately $5,095 per month, or about $29.40 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 $81,310 for Surgical Technologists 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 — $61,145/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