What is the average salary in Los Angeles?

The median annual wage across all occupations in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area is $53,490, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2024. That covers roughly 6.2 million workers.

How much do you take home after taxes in Los Angeles?

On the $53,490 median wage, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $43,061 per year ($3,588 per month) after federal, state taxes — an effective rate of 19.5%.

Does Los Angeles have a city income tax?

No. Los Angeles does not levy a local income tax, so residents pay federal, FICA, and California state income tax, plus California's CA SDI payroll levy.

Los Angeles Salary Calculator — Take-Home Pay After Tax (2026)

The median wage across all occupations in Los Angeles is $53,490, which leaves about $43,061 after federal, California state taxes.

Median Wage

$53,490

all occupations

Take-Home

$43,061

$3,588/mo

Effective Tax Rate

19.5%

fed + state + FICA + levies

Workers

6.2M

rank #9 of 20 by pay

Full Tax Breakdown — $53,490 in Los Angeles

Single filer, standard deduction, 2026 rates.

Annual Take-Home$43,061After all taxes

Monthly$3,588Net per month

Bi-Weekly$1,656Every 2 weeks

Effective Tax Rate19.5%Fed + state + FICA + levies

◆

$695/yr in state payroll deductions beyond income tax and FICA — State Disability Insurance (also funds Paid Family Leave) ($695). Mandatory and withheld from every paycheck.

Where Your Money Goes

19.5%effective rate

Take-Home$43,06180.5%

Federal Tax$4,2397.9%

State & Local Tax$1,4032.6%

FICA$4,0927.7%

CA SDI$6951.3%

Federal Tax Brackets

10%

$1,240

12%

$2,999

Affordability Snapshot

Based on your $3,588/mo take-home — 50/30/20 rule

Needs (50%)$1,794/mo

Rent, groceries, utilities, transport

Wants (30%)$1,077/mo

Dining, entertainment, hobbies

Savings (20%)$718/mo

401k, emergency fund, investments

🏠

Recommended Max Rent

$1,077/mo

30% of monthly take-home — the commonly recommended housing cost ceiling.

Annual Savings Potential

$8,612

Daily Take-Home

$166

Paycheck Breakdown

All figures in USD

Item	Annual	Monthly	Bi-Weekly	Weekly	Daily	Hourly
Gross Pay	$53,490	$4,458	$2,057	$1,029	$206	$26
Federal Income Tax	−$4,239	−$353	−$163	−$82	−$16	−$2
State Income Tax	−$1,403	−$117	−$54	−$27	−$5	−$1
Social Security	−$3,316	−$276	−$128	−$64	−$13	−$2
Medicare	−$776	−$65	−$30	−$15	−$3	−$0
CA SDI	−$695	−$58	−$27	−$13	−$3	−$0
Total Taxes	−$10,429	−$869	−$401	−$201	−$40	−$5
Take-Home Pay	$43,061	$3,588	$1,656	$828	$166	$21

Federal Rate

7.9%

State Rate

3.9%

Total Rate

19.5%

State-by-State Comparison

Same $53,490 salary across popular states

State	Take-Home	Total Tax	Eff. Rate
TXTexasNo Tax	$45,159	$8,331	15.6%
FLFloridaNo Tax	$45,159	$8,331	15.6%
NVNevadaNo Tax	$45,159	$8,331	15.6%
OHOhio	$44,471 -$689	$9,019 -$689/yr	16.9%
WAWashingtonNo Tax	$44,417 -$742	$9,073 -$742/yr	17.0%
PAPennsylvania	$43,480 -$1,680	$10,010 -$1,680/yr	18.7%
CACaliforniaYou	$43,061 -$2,098	$10,429 -$2,098/yr	19.5%
GAGeorgia	$43,006 -$2,153	$10,484 -$2,153/yr	19.6%
ILIllinois	$42,656 -$2,503	$10,834 -$2,503/yr	20.3%
NYNew York	$42,605 -$2,554	$10,885 -$2,554/yr	20.3%

Ways to Increase Your Take-Home

📈

A $5,000 401(k) contribution saves $900/yr in taxes

Pre-tax 401(k) contributions reduce your federal and state taxable income. Contributing an additional $5,000 would increase your monthly take-home by $417 while building retirement savings.

💍

Married filing jointly saves $2,892/yr

If you're married, filing jointly gives you a $32,200 standard deduction (vs $16,100 single) and wider tax brackets. This would add $241/month to your take-home.

🏥

An HSA could save $1,186/yr in taxes

If you have a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you can contribute up to $4,400 to an HSA pre-tax. This reduces your taxable income and saves $1,186 in federal and state taxes — a triple tax advantage.

Results for $53,490 salary · 2026 tax year

Take-Home Pay by Salary in Los Angeles

Gross Salary	Take-Home / Year	Per Month	Effective Rate
$40,000	$33,064	$2,755	17.3%
$50,000	$40,512	$3,376	19.0%
$60,000	$47,817	$3,985	20.3%
$75,000	$57,689	$4,807	23.1%
$100,000	$72,671	$6,056	27.3%
$125,000	$87,544	$7,295	30.0%
$150,000	$101,982	$8,498	32.0%
$200,000	$131,818	$10,985	34.1%

Los Angeles Salaries by Occupation

BLS median wage for each occupation in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area, with take-home after all 2026 taxes.

Occupation	Median Wage	Take-Home	Eff. Rate
Lawyer	$205,900	$135,538	34.2%
Software Engineering Manager	$181,400	$120,115	33.8%
Physician (General Practice)	$179,990	$119,301	33.7%
Dentist	$176,200	$117,112	33.5%
Nurse Practitioner	$164,510	$110,361	32.9%
Marketing Manager	$163,100	$109,547	32.8%
Human Resources Manager	$161,970	$108,894	32.8%
Pharmacist	$158,450	$106,862	32.6%
Physician Assistant	$156,210	$105,568	32.4%
Software Developer	$155,330	$105,060	32.4%
Veterinarian	$138,430	$95,300	31.2%
Electrical Engineer	$134,900	$93,262	30.9%
Registered Nurse	$133,440	$92,418	30.7%
Construction Manager	$128,730	$89,698	30.3%
Operations Manager	$127,610	$89,052	30.2%
Data Scientist	$124,270	$87,123	29.9%
Physical Therapist	$117,000	$82,828	29.2%
Police Officer	$115,630	$82,010	29.1%
Occupational Therapist	$115,380	$81,860	29.1%
Mechanical Engineer	$114,290	$81,209	28.9%
Dental Hygienist	$106,480	$76,543	28.1%
Civil Engineer	$105,290	$75,832	28.0%
Financial Analyst	$102,660	$74,260	27.7%
UX Designer	$102,660	$74,260	27.7%
Radiologic Technologist	$102,310	$74,051	27.6%
Elementary School Teacher	$100,580	$73,017	27.4%
Psychologist	$100,330	$72,868	27.4%
Firefighter	$99,210	$72,199	27.2%
Accountant	$93,890	$69,020	26.5%
Social Worker	$85,770	$64,168	25.2%
Electrician	$76,120	$58,373	23.3%
Graphic Designer	$75,820	$58,190	23.3%
Plumber	$65,110	$51,512	20.9%
Truck Driver (Heavy)	$59,560	$47,495	20.3%
Real Estate Agent	$58,310	$46,582	20.1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (MSA 31080). Occupations BLS does not publish an estimate for in this metro are omitted rather than guessed.

How these Los Angeles numbers are calculated

Wages are published BLS medians for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area — the wider metro, not Los Angeles city limits. Taxes are 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and California state income tax, for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Cost of living is not modeled — a higher wage here does not automatically mean more spending power. Full methodology.