Average Salaries in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Explore salaries across 754 occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $82.3K, +25.1% 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: 754 occupations and 6,213,600 total jobs in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
How the metro compares
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is one of the largest metro labor markets in the country.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Radiologists. 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologists | $488.7K | 310 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $433.5K | N/A |
| Psychiatrists | $370.5K | 1,610 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $364.7K | 6,710 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $319.3K | 330 |
| Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons | $313.8K | N/A |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $304K | N/A |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $301.2K | N/A |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $282.9K | N/A |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $241.1K | N/A |
Largest occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 385,530 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 160,270 | $42.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 130,650 | $37.7K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 120,720 | $42.4K |
| Office Clerks, General | 112,270 | $48.1K |
| Cashiers | 109,940 | $37K |
| Registered Nurses | 109,360 | $135.6K |
| General And Operations Managers | 104,610 | $125.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 85,630 | $38.7K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 85,210 | $35.9K |
What Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Actors | 11.18 | N/A |
| Media And Communication Workers, All Other | 9.48 | $103.1K |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical And Performance | 8.23 | $140.9K |
| Agents And Business Managers Of Artists, Performers, And Athletes | 8.09 | $97.8K |
| Fabric And Apparel Patternmakers | 6.96 | $89K |
| Fashion Designers | 5.84 | N/A |
| Film And Video Editors | 5.82 | $83.2K |
| Special Effects Artists And Animators | 5.77 | $124.6K |
| Lighting Technicians | 5.69 | $105K |
| Textile, Apparel, And Furnishings Workers, All Other | 5.59 | $36.5K |
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 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81.8K | Cardiologists |
Common salary questions for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 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.