Average Salaries in Chico, CA
Explore salaries across 290 occupations in Chico, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $69.2K, +5.3% 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: 290 occupations and 70,860 total jobs in Chico, CA.
How the metro compares
Chico, CA pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Chico, CA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. 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 Chico, CA
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 Chico, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $335K | 50 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $274.8K | 90 |
| Chief Executives | $176.8K | 130 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $167.1K | 140 |
| Physician Assistants | $164.8K | 130 |
| Dentists, General | $163.5K | 50 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | $162.3K | 50 |
| Pharmacists | $161.4K | 160 |
| Veterinarians | $160.2K | 60 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $155.5K | 70 |
Largest occupations in Chico, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 5,940 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,630 | $38.2K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,170 | $127.4K |
| Cashiers | 2,090 | $35.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,010 | $36.7K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,700 | $42.8K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,260 | $98.4K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,220 | $45.7K |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,120 | $95K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,040 | $37.2K |
What Chico, CA 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 Chico, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Chico, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Instruction And Library Workers, All Other | 7.39 | $60.9K |
| Health Education Specialists | 6.28 | $59.1K |
| Medical Transcriptionists | 5.94 | $50K |
| Food Science Technicians | 5.61 | $51.4K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 5.36 | $36.1K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 4.70 | $65.5K |
| Protective Service Workers, All Other | 3.69 | $38.5K |
| Material Moving Workers, All Other | 3.53 | $36.4K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Gambling Services Workers | 3.32 | $49.1K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 3.24 | $34.3K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Chico, CA
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 metros 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.