Average Salaries in California
Explore salaries across 807 occupations in California. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $83.2K, +26.5% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 807 occupations and 18,149,550 total jobs in California.
How the state compares
California is one of the higher-paying states in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
California has one of the largest labor markets in the country, with a deep pool of employers and workers across virtually every occupation.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in California
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in California
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $400.2K | 820 |
| Neurologists | $357.1K | 1,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $353.9K | 10,670 |
| Psychiatrists | $353.5K | 5,420 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313.9K | 6,370 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $301.2K | 1,610 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $292.4K | 2,230 |
| Physicians, All Other | $281.6K | 25,530 |
| Radiologists | $270.6K | 690 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $253.4K | N/A |
Largest occupations in California
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 970,150 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 449,840 | $42.3K |
| Retail Salespersons | 376,460 | $38.4K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 355,500 | $44.7K |
| Registered Nurses | 338,940 | $140.3K |
| Cashiers | 336,110 | $37.1K |
| Office Clerks, General | 311,490 | $48.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 310,870 | $42.9K |
| General And Operations Managers | 300,840 | $124.4K |
| Software Developers | 284,390 | $174.4K |
What California specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in California than in the country as a whole, which signals what this state is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in California
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 5.54 | $35.6K |
| Marriage And Family Therapists | 4.47 | $67.3K |
| Media And Communication Workers, All Other | 4.33 | $102.6K |
| Actors | 4.06 | N/A |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.32 | $119.5K |
| Material Moving Workers, All Other | 3.31 | $38.4K |
| Agents And Business Managers Of Artists, Performers, And Athletes | 3.28 | $98.1K |
| Counselors, All Other | 3.22 | $48.9K |
| Forest And Conservation Workers | 3.20 | $43.7K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 3.19 | $56.3K |
Comparable states
| State | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $89.7K | Neurologists |
| Washington | $86.5K | Cardiologists |
| New York | $83.2K | Cardiologists |
| Massachusetts | $81.2K | Radiologists |
| New Jersey | $80.4K | Radiologists |
| Minnesota | $79.9K | Radiologists |
| Alaska | $79.6K | Emergency Medicine Physicians |
| Maryland | $79.5K | Radiologists |
Metros inside California
Salaries can vary a lot within a single state. Urban metro areas typically pay more than rural regions, and specific industries cluster in particular cities. Drill into any metro below for its own full salary breakdown.
Major metros in California
| Metro | Average median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | 6,213,600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | 2,346,620 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $76.7K | 1,699,640 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $81.7K | 1,513,090 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | 1,118,290 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $81.6K | 1,063,520 |
| Fresno, CA | $73.5K | 469,880 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $74.4K | 329,040 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $75.1K | 311,720 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $71.8K | 264,390 |
Common salary questions for California
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other states with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.