Average Salaries in Merced, CA
Explore salaries across 273 occupations in Merced, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $68.7K, +4.5% 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: 273 occupations and 72,910 total jobs in Merced, CA.
How the metro compares
Wages in Merced, CA track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Merced, 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 Merced, 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 Merced, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $273.1K | 90 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $270.9K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $181.7K | 100 |
| Dentists, General | $170.2K | 40 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $167.2K | 80 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $165.6K | 50 |
| Physician Assistants | $164.1K | 50 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $158.8K | 100 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten Through Secondary | $157.2K | 260 |
| Pharmacists | $154.9K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Merced, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 4,990 | $34.3K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 3,820 | $36.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,500 | $38.2K |
| Cashiers | 2,250 | $35.3K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,950 | $44.7K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,710 | $55.6K |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,560 | $100.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,480 | $37.7K |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 1,450 | $60.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,400 | $38.1K |
What Merced, 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 Merced, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Merced, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Food Science Technicians | 28.14 | $50.8K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 28.13 | $36.4K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 14.06 | $37.6K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 13.79 | $57.9K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 13.04 | $36.4K |
| Cleaning, Washing, And Metal Pickling Equipment Operators And Tenders | 10.95 | $47.5K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 10.29 | $61.4K |
| Protective Service Workers, All Other | 9.44 | $38.7K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 8.68 | $61.9K |
| Psychiatric Aides | 6.61 | $49.6K |
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 Merced, 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.