Average Salaries in Fresno, CA
Explore salaries across 531 occupations in Fresno, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $73.5K, +11.8% 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: 531 occupations and 469,880 total jobs in Fresno, CA.
How the metro compares
Fresno, 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.
Fresno, CA is a mid-sized metro labor market.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Psychiatrists. 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 Fresno, 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 Fresno, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $315.5K | 140 |
| Physicians, All Other | $315.4K | 450 |
| Pediatricians, General | $289.3K | 410 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $287.5K | N/A |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $277.7K | 320 |
| Healthcare Diagnosing Or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $209.1K | 70 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $195.3K | 80 |
| Chief Executives | $188.9K | 700 |
| Dentists, General | $188.5K | 340 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $175.5K | 190 |
Largest occupations in Fresno, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 33,580 | $34.3K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 28,570 | $34.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 12,330 | $39.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 11,030 | $125.4K |
| Cashiers | 9,780 | $35.3K |
| Retail Salespersons | 9,290 | $36.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 8,850 | $39.1K |
| Office Clerks, General | 8,710 | $46.1K |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 8,670 | $54.9K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 8,170 | $55.7K |
What Fresno, 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 Fresno, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Fresno, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 35.08 | $34.6K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 15.60 | $48.9K |
| Slaughterers And Meat Packers | 12.53 | $39.4K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 12.35 | $35K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 10.36 | $36.7K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 10.00 | $104.6K |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 9.91 | $49.7K |
| Tax Examiners And Collectors, And Revenue Agents | 8.59 | $56.9K |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 6.64 | $59.3K |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 6.08 | $56.9K |
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 Fresno, 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.