Average Salaries in Merced, CA
Explore salaries across 271 occupations in Merced, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $64.9K, +5.4% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 271 occupations and 72,050 total jobs in Merced, CA.
How the metro compares
Merced, 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.
Merced, CA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Chief Executives. 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Merced, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $197.5K | 100 |
| Dentists, General | $163.9K | 60 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $158.7K | 100 |
| Human Resources Managers | $156.4K | 60 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $153.1K | 150 |
| Pharmacists | $153.1K | 100 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten Through Secondary | $153.0K | 270 |
| Physician Assistants | $146.5K | 50 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $140.2K | 50 |
| Marketing Managers | $136.1K | 40 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Merced, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 4,460 | $33.5K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 3,830 | $35.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,540 | $36.4K |
| Cashiers | 2,340 | $34.6K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,740 | $54.9K |
| Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 1,640 | $51.6K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,630 | $37.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,610 | $38.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,490 | $35.0K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,250 | $43.1K |
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.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Merced, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Food Science Technicians | 30.79 | $58.9K |
| Slaughterers And Meat Packers | 30.64 | $38.7K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 28.57 | $35.4K |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 22.93 | $36.0K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 18.62 | $39.2K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 17.63 | $58.1K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 15.57 | $35.6K |
| Cleaning, Washing, And Metal Pickling Equipment Operators And Tenders | 13.07 | $46.1K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 10.41 | N/A |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 9.84 | $61.4K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
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.