California vs New York taxes

Level on a typical salary

On $75,000 a single filer keeps $57,843 in California and $57,784 in New York, $59 apart. The two differences between them almost exactly cancel.

New York’s income tax is higher here. Its rates start at 3.9% and reach 5.4% by $13,900 of taxable income, after a standard deduction of $8,000. It charges $3,453 on $75,000, against California’s $2,775, whose bottom bands run from 1% to 8%.

California’s payroll levy is higher. SDI takes 1.3% of every dollar, $975 on $75,000. New York’s paid family leave and disability insurance take $355.

How the answer changes with income

Below about $77,000 a single filer keeps more in California; above it New York does, and the gap opens quickly: $3,402 on $150,000 and $7,849 on $250,000. For a couple filing jointly the switch comes at about $147,000.

Two things drive it. California’s 9.3% rate begins at $72,724 of taxable income, while New York’s rate is 5.9% all the way to $215,400. And SDI keeps growing with the salary, while New York’s two payroll deductions stop at $443 a year between them. On $250,000 SDI alone is $3,250.

New York City is a different comparison

Everything above is New York State outside the city. Living in the five boroughs adds the city’s own income tax, and then California keeps $2,322 more on $75,000, not $59. Even with the city tax, New York City only comes out ahead of California from about $444,000 for a single filer. The New York City paycheck calculator includes the city tax and its school tax credit.

The city tax follows where you live. Someone who works in Manhattan and lives on Long Island or in Westchester pays New York State tax only, which is the New York column here.

Working for one state from the other

The Franchise Tax Board’s guidance is that California taxes its residents on income from all sources and taxes nonresidents on income from services performed in California. So someone moving from New York to California pays California tax on everything received from the day their residency begins.

New York adds a complication for remote workers. Its convenience of the employer rule can treat days worked at home for a New York employer as New York days, even when home is in another state. A Californian working remotely for a New York firm should confirm how both states treat those wages rather than assume only one of them will.

What the take-home figure does not count

Neither sales tax nor property tax is in these figures, and housing costs differ widely within both states. This page compares only what is taken from wages.

Questions people ask

Do you take home more in California or New York on $75,000?

California, by $59 a year, or $5 a month, for a single filer in 2026. That counts federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax and every state payroll deduction.

Is the difference the same at every salary?

No. The side that keeps more changes with the salary: $30,000: California by $572; $50,000: California by $661; $75,000: California by $59; $100,000: New York by $1,052; $150,000: New York by $3,402; $250,000: New York by $7,849.

Does the New York column include New York City tax?

No. It is New York State outside the city. Residents of the five boroughs pay a city income tax of 3.078% to 3.876% on top, less a small refundable school tax credit, and the New York City calculator adds it. The city tax follows where you live, not where you work. Yonkers has a separate surcharge that neither figure includes.

How do California SDI and New York's payroll deductions compare?

California SDI is 1.3% of every dollar, with no cap. New York takes two smaller amounts: Paid Family Leave at 0.432% up to an annual maximum, and disability insurance capped at 60 cents a week. On a high salary California's deduction is many times New York's two combined.

I work remotely in California for a New York company. Which state taxes me?

California taxes its residents on income from all sources. New York applies a convenience of the employer rule, which can treat days worked from home for a New York employer as New York days. Where both states tax the same wages, California may allow an other state tax credit. The interaction is worth confirming with both states before relying on it.

What this comparison covers

Income tax and payroll deductions on wages: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax, every state payroll deduction. It does not compare sales tax, property tax, housing or the cost of living, which can outweigh the difference in take-home pay. Figures assume the standard deduction, no dependents and no pre-tax retirement contributions. See how we calculate.