Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for California (2024)

The living wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support his or herself and their family. The assumption is the sole provider is working full-time (2080 hours per year). The tool provides information for individuals, and households with one or two working adults and zero to three children. In the case of households with two working adults, all values are per working adult, single or in a family unless otherwise noted.

The state minimum wage is the same for all individuals, regardless of how many dependents they may have. Data are updated annually, in the first quarter of the new year. State minimum wages are determined based on the posted value of the minimum wage as of January one of the coming year (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2019). The poverty rate reflects a person's gross annual income. We have converted it to an hourly wage for the sake of comparison.

For further detail, please reference the technical documentation here.

1 ADULT 2 ADULTS

(1 WORKING)

2 ADULTS

(BOTH WORKING)

0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children
Living Wage $21.24 $43.44 $56.48 $76.34 $32.30 $40.25 $45.21 $52.28 $16.15 $23.81 $30.06 $37.92
Poverty Wage $6.53 $8.80 $11.07 $13.34 $8.80 $11.07 $13.34 $15.61 $4.40 $5.54 $6.67 $7.81
Minimum Wage $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50 $15.50

Typical Expenses

These figures show the individual expenses that went into the living wage estimate. Their values vary by family size, composition, and the current location.

1 ADULT 2 ADULTS

(1 WORKING)

2 ADULTS

(BOTH WORKING)

0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children
Food $4,686 $6,916 $10,392 $13,774 $8,591 $10,702 $13,802 $16,795 $8,591 $10,702 $13,802 $16,795
Child Care $0 $12,346 $24,691 $37,037 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $12,346 $24,691 $37,037
Medical $3,136 $9,476 $9,486 $9,411 $7,018 $9,486 $9,411 $9,564 $7,018 $9,486 $9,411 $9,564
Housing $17,076 $24,362 $24,362 $32,832 $19,478 $24,362 $24,362 $32,832 $19,478 $24,362 $24,362 $32,832
Transportation $5,316 $9,561 $11,691 $14,058 $9,561 $11,691 $14,058 $15,073 $9,561 $11,691 $14,058 $15,073
Civic $2,920 $5,801 $6,480 $8,835 $5,801 $6,480 $8,835 $7,025 $5,801 $6,480 $8,835 $7,025
Other $4,596 $8,020 $9,463 $10,386 $8,020 $9,463 $10,386 $11,617 $8,020 $9,463 $10,386 $11,617
Required annual income after taxes $37,863 $76,614 $96,696 $126,464 $58,601 $72,315 $80,986 $93,038 $58,601 $84,661 $105,677 $130,075
Annual taxes $6,312 $13,744 $20,785 $32,327 $8,574 $11,405 $13,043 $15,706 $8,574 $14,382 $19,360 $27,675
Required annual income before taxes $44,175 $90,357 $117,481 $158,791 $67,175 $83,721 $94,029 $108,744 $67,175 $99,043 $125,037 $157,750

Typical Annual Salaries

These are the typical annual salaries for various professions in this location.

Occupational Area Typical Annual Salary
Management $139,835
Business & Financial Operations $87,464
Computer & Mathematical $133,087
Architecture & Engineering $110,066
Life, Physical, & Social Science $88,126
Community & Social Service $64,708
Legal $131,588
Education, Training, & Library $68,523
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media $70,937
Healthcare Practitioners & Technical $110,320
Healthcare Support $32,944
Protective Service $54,123
Food Preparation & Serving Related $34,079
Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance $40,088
Personal Care & Service $35,303
Sales & Related $40,320
Office & Administrative Support $51,533
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry $32,789
Construction & Extraction $66,659
Installation, Maintenance, & Repair $62,800
Production $42,007
Transportation & Material Moving $41,687
Living Wage Calculator
       - Living Wage Calculation for California (2024)

FAQs

Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for California? ›

While California ranks third-most expensive for a single adult to live comfortably at $113,652, it only ranks fifth-most expensive for two working adults raising two children. The total family income should be at least $276,724 in the latter case.

What salary do you need to live comfortably in California? ›

While California ranks third-most expensive for a single adult to live comfortably at $113,652, it only ranks fifth-most expensive for two working adults raising two children. The total family income should be at least $276,724 in the latter case.

Is $22 an hour good in California? ›

As of Jul 23, 2024, the average hourly pay for an An Hour in California is $18.55 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $35.11 and as low as $5.22, the majority of An Hour salaries currently range between $15.91 (25th percentile) to $21.59 (75th percentile) in California.

Is $27 an hour good in California? ›

SmartAsset says a single working adult must earn at least $114,000, or about $55 an hour, to support themselves in the Golden State. When it comes to a basic “living wage,” MIT says a single adult in California needs to earn $27.32 per hour or $56,800 per year.

How do you calculate living? ›

Simply add up all of your monthly fixed expenses, like rent or a mortgage payment, and your variable expenses, such as groceries and gas costs. Also factor in occasional but expected purchases, such as new tires. The resulting amount, assuming you aren't going to debt every month, is your cost of living.

What is the formula for the real wage? ›

How do you calculate real wage? To calculate the real wage for Year 2, you multiply the nominal wage (Year 1) by the ratio of the CPI (Year 2) over the CPI (Year 1). Another way of interpreting the formula of real wage is Real Wage = (Old Wage * New CPI) / Old CPI.

What salary do you need to live alone in California? ›

But just how much does a single person in California need to make to live comfortably? A new study from Smart Asset determined that a person must make at least $ 89,190 to get by comfortably.

Can you live in California making 50K a year? ›

A good salary for a single person in California varies widely depending on location and industry: $50K may be enough in some areas, $100K in others. Here, we'll provide real-world stats to show you what the cost of living is really like.

What is considered low income in California? ›

Very-Low, Low and Moderate-Income Limits
Household SizeVery-Low IncomeLow-Income
1$11,550 or less$11,551 - $19,300
2$13,200 or less$13,201 - $22,050
3$14,900 or less$14,901 - $24,800
4$16,550 or less$16,551 - $27,550
4 more rows

Can you live off $20 an hour in California? ›

If we look at an adult with one child, the MIT living wage calculator is about $45 an hour, so even this $20 per hour is far below what MIT suggests for a living wage," Leigh said. MIT's living wage calculator considers expenses for a living wage to cover basic needs, such as food, health care and housing.

How much is 70k a year hourly in California? ›

As of Jul 21, 2024, the average hourly pay for a $70000 in California is $21.94 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $35.35 and as low as $15.42, the majority of $70000 salaries currently range between $18.99 (25th percentile) to $22.79 (75th percentile) in California.

How much is 100k a year hourly in California? ›

Income tax calculator California

$100,000 yearly is how much per hour? $48.08 hourly is how much per year? What is the average salary in the U.S.?

What is a realistic living wage in California? ›

Living Wage Calculation for California
1 ADULT2 ADULTS (1 WORKING)
0 Children1 Child
Living Wage$27.32$44.11
Poverty Wage$7.24$12.41
Minimum Wage$16.00$16.00

How much does a single person need to live in California? ›

Here, a single person needs $110,781 annually or $53.26 in hourly wages to be comfortable, according to the data. For a family of two working adults with two children, a salary of $276,557 is needed.

What is the middle class income in California? ›

In California, the middle class income range for 2022 was $61,270 to $183,810. Compare that to the average in 2012, which was $40,933 to $122,800. That's a 10-year change of 49.68%. Those figures pushed California to #4 on the list ranking U.S. states where the middle class income has increased.

Can I live off of $20 an hour? ›

Earning $20 an hour can provide a decent living in some parts of the country, while it might be more challenging in others. Understanding how your hourly wage translates into weekly, monthly, and yearly income is essential for budgeting, financial planning, and making smart career decisions.

How do employers calculate cost of living? ›

A COLA is often calculated based on an underlying metric, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the CPI-W. The indexes calculate price increases in living staples such as housing, food, and energy costs. State law or a union agreement may specify which index should be used to calculate a COLA increase.

How do you calculate real wage from cost of living? ›

Real Wage Rate: The average hourly wage rate measured in the dollars of a given reference base period. It shows that the quantity of goods and services that an hour work can buy. Real wage rate = (Nominal wage rate in current year/ CPI in current year) x 100%.

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