How much does a CDL-A job in California really pay, and how much of it do you keep? We pulled the numbers from our own job database and ran them through 2026 tax rates.
What California CDL-A jobs pay right now
In our database there are 62 open CDL-A jobs that hire drivers in California, and 53 of them list an average pay figure from the carrier.
| Weekly pay (carrier-reported average) | |
|---|---|
| Middle of the pack (median) | $1,300 |
| Lower quarter of jobs | $1,200 or less |
| Top quarter of jobs | $1,500 or more |
Other numbers worth knowing:
- 6 of these jobs get you home daily, 17 home weekly.
- 1 are local and 21 are dedicated.
- 12 accept brand-new CDL-A drivers.
Why California is different
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach feed the Inland Empire, one of the biggest warehouse regions in the world, so Southern California has many port, drayage and home-daily jobs. Northern California (Sacramento, the Bay Area) adds food, beverage and retail distribution. California is strict about truck emissions and about treating drivers as contractors, so most jobs here are W-2 company jobs. Gross pay is higher than in most states, but so is the cost of living.
What you keep after taxes
Take a driver in California at the median: about $1,300 a week, 50 working weeks, so about $65,000 a year as a W-2 company driver, single, standard deduction.
| Per year | |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $65,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,620 |
| California state income tax | −$1,988 |
| Social Security + Medicare | −$4,972 |
| Take-home | $52,420 (about $1,048 a week) |
California tax in short: a graduated state income tax, from 1% up to 12.3% (plus 1% on income above $1 million). California also withholds State Disability Insurance (SDI), a little over 1% of your pay, which is not in the table above. There is no city wage tax.
For comparison, the same paycheck in Texas (no state income tax) would leave about $1,988 more a year. Want to run your own numbers, or compare two offers after taxes? Use our free pay calculator: pick your state and it shows the take-home for both offers, including 1099 jobs.
These are estimates for a single filer with no other income, before health insurance, 401(k) and local taxes. Your real numbers depend on your situation; this is not tax advice.
Where the jobs are
Browse open California jobs by metro: Inland Empire & Los Angeles · Sacramento · San Francisco Bay Area, or see all California CDL-A jobs.
Sources: pay figures are carrier-reported averages from our job database (October 2026); federal brackets and standard deduction from the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments; state rates from the Tax Foundation's 2026 state income tax table; Social Security wage base from the SSA.
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