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 themselves and/or their family, working full-time, or 2080 hours per year. The tables below provide living wage estimates for individuals and households with one or two working adults and zero to three children. In households with two working adults, all hourly values reflect what one working adult requires to earn to meet their families’ basic needs, assuming the other adult also earns the same.

The poverty wage and state minimum wage are for reference purposes. Poverty wage estimates come from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Poverty Guidelines for 2024 and have been converted from an annual value to an hourly wage for ease of comparison. The state minimum wage data is sourced from the Labor Law Center and includes the minimum wage in a given state as of January of that year.

For further detail, please reference the Methodology page. The data on this page was last updated on February 14, 2024.

1 ADULT 2 ADULTS

(1 WORKING)

2 ADULTS

(BOTH WORKING)

0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children
Living Wage $27.32 $47.96 $61.58 $82.16 $36.35 $44.11 $49.10 $54.51 $18.17 $26.21 $33.26 $40.24
Poverty Wage $7.24 $9.83 $12.41 $15.00 $9.83 $12.41 $15.00 $17.59 $4.91 $6.21 $7.50 $8.79
Minimum Wage $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00

Typical Expenses

The table below shows the costs of each basic need that go into estimating the living wage. Like with the living wage, their values vary by location and family size.

1 ADULT 2 ADULTS

(1 WORKING)

2 ADULTS

(BOTH WORKING)

0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children 0Children 1Child 2Children 3Children
Food $4,508 $6,645 $9,967 $13,247 $8,264 $10,287 $13,248 $16,153 $8,264 $10,287 $13,248 $16,153
Child Care $0 $14,433 $28,866 $41,020 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $14,433 $28,866 $41,020
Medical $2,603 $8,317 $8,205 $8,668 $5,886 $8,205 $8,668 $8,263 $5,886 $8,205 $8,668 $8,263
Housing $21,079 $28,944 $28,944 $38,263 $23,371 $28,944 $28,944 $38,263 $23,371 $28,944 $28,944 $38,263
Transportation $10,665 $12,343 $15,548 $17,890 $12,343 $15,548 $17,890 $17,869 $12,343 $15,548 $17,890 $17,869
Civic $3,032 $5,335 $6,715 $7,776 $5,335 $6,715 $7,776 $7,269 $5,335 $6,715 $7,776 $7,269
Internet & Mobile $1,538 $1,538 $1,538 $1,538 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133 $2,133
Other $4,739 $8,459 $8,994 $12,431 $8,459 $8,994 $12,431 $11,950 $8,459 $8,994 $12,431 $11,950
Required annual income after taxes $48,163 $86,013 $108,776 $140,833 $65,790 $80,825 $91,090 $101,899 $65,790 $95,258 $119,956 $142,920
Annual taxes $8,661 $13,750 $19,315 $30,062 $9,812 $10,934 $11,032 $11,488 $9,812 $13,785 $18,401 $24,496
Required annual income before taxes $56,825 $99,763 $128,091 $170,895 $75,602 $91,759 $102,122 $113,388 $75,602 $109,043 $138,357 $167,415

Typical Annual Salaries

The average annual salaries for various occupations in the table below comes from the latest state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. When available, this data is specific to a given metro area.

Occupational Area Typical Annual Salary
Management $155,120
Business & Financial Operations $94,210
Computer & Mathematical $143,670
Architecture & Engineering $116,250
Life, Physical, & Social Science $97,210
Community & Social Service $65,450
Legal $153,910
Education, Training, & Library $75,880
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media $107,330
Healthcare Practitioners & Technical $119,400
Healthcare Support $37,760
Protective Service $64,790
Food Preparation & Serving Related $37,220
Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance $41,940
Personal Care & Service $42,080
Sales & Related $58,040
Office & Administrative Support $52,170
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry $36,710
Construction & Extraction $69,630
Installation, Maintenance, & Repair $63,170
Production $48,670
Transportation & Material Moving $46,880
Living Wage Calculator
       - Living Wage Calculation for California (2024)

FAQs

Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for California? ›

California ranks number 4 out of 50 states nationwide for 30$ An Hour job salaries. To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for 30$ An Hour jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Is $30 an hour good in California? ›

California ranks number 4 out of 50 states nationwide for 30$ An Hour job salaries. To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for 30$ An Hour jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Is $25 an hour a livable wage? ›

An analysis of the living wage (as calculated in December 2022 and reflecting a compensation being offered to an individual in 2023), compiling geographically specific expenditure data for food, childcare, health care, housing, transportation, and other necessities, finds that: The living wage in the United States is ...

Is 72k a good salary in California? ›

If you are a single person in Los Angeles making around $70,000 a year, you are still considered low-income, according to a new statewide study. The California Department of Housing and Community Development released the report in June and found that income limits have increased in most counties across California.

How much is $70,000 a year per hour in California? ›

As of May 25, 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.

What is a realistic living wage in California? ›

Living Wage Calculation for California
1 ADULT2 ADULTS (BOTH WORKING)
0 Children2 Children
Living Wage$27.32$33.26
Poverty Wage$7.24$7.50
Minimum Wage$16.00$16.00

What is a good hourly wage to live comfortably? ›

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.

What is the living wage method? ›

The living wage is calculated by first establishing the cost for the basic but decent life in a specific region, inclusive of food, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, clothing and other essential needs for a family including unexpected events. The exact costs reflect local items and prices.

Is $17 an hour a livable wage? ›

“The minimum wage, in almost every location in the United States does not cover a living wage,” Glasmeier said. She said even the highest minimum wage, $17 an hour, doesn't cut it. A livable wage, nationwide, would be closer to $25 an hour, according to her research.

What is a good salary for a single person 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.

Is $27 an hour a lot of money? ›

A 27 Dollars An Hour in your area makes on average $79,424 per year, or $1 (0.014%) more than the national average annual salary of $77,100. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for 27 Dollars An Hour salaries.

Can you survive off 25 an hour? ›

Earning $25 per hour puts you well above the poverty line, especially if you're single. With careful budgeting and financial planning, $25 is still a viable hourly wage. Even though it's not a particularly high hourly rate, it's still well above the minimum wage rate in most areas.

How much is $100,000 a year per hour? ›

The good stuff: calculating your hourly wage

To get this figure, divide your annual salary ($100,000) by the total number of hours you work in a year (2,080 if you work a consistent 40-hour week). The result? You're making $48.08 per hour. So, $100k a year is roughly $48 an hour.

How much does $100,000 salary take home in California? ›

If you make $100,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $29,959. That means that your net pay will be $70,041 per year, or $5,837 per month. Your average tax rate is 30.0% and your marginal tax rate is 42.6%.

What is considered low income in CA? ›

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

What is good hourly pay in California? ›

$15.19 is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers. $23.94 is the 75th percentile.

What is considered a good salary in California? ›

$45,568 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $78,264 is the 75th percentile.

Is $30 an hour a good hourly wage? ›

Earning $30 an hour results in a yearly income of $62,400, which surpasses the national average income of $48,672 per year but falls below the median salary of $68,703 per year. Nonetheless, it is an excellent salary for someone who holds only a high school diploma or lacks a college degree.

Is $28 an hour good pay in California? ›

As of May 24, 2024, the average hourly pay for a 28 Dollars An Hour in California is $27.66 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $41.28 and as low as $13.05, the majority of 28 Dollars An Hour salaries currently range between $18.03 (25th percentile) to $29.42 (75th percentile) in California.

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