Average Salaries in Modesto, CA
Explore salaries across 400 occupations in Modesto, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $72.7K, +10.5% 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: 400 occupations and 188,120 total jobs in Modesto, CA.
How the metro compares
Modesto, 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.
Modesto, 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 Modesto, 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 Modesto, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $323.6K | 310 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $260K | 100 |
| Chief Executives | $200.9K | 230 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $173.4K | 380 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $172.5K | 30 |
| Dentists, General | $167.1K | 160 |
| Physician Assistants | $165.7K | 210 |
| Lawyers | $164K | 370 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $163.7K | 90 |
| Veterinarians | $162.2K | 120 |
Largest occupations in Modesto, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 9,160 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 6,700 | $42.6K |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,140 | $37.4K |
| Cashiers | 4,890 | $36.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 4,850 | $132.6K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 4,810 | $46.6K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 4,120 | $37.9K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 4,080 | $41.3K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 3,510 | $58.3K |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,470 | $48K |
What Modesto, 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 Modesto, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Modesto, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 13.30 | $73.7K |
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 12.36 | $37.9K |
| Food Science Technicians | 9.70 | $56.2K |
| Cleaning, Washing, And Metal Pickling Equipment Operators And Tenders | 9.27 | $41.4K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 9.03 | $38.3K |
| Plasterers And Stucco Masons | 7.42 | $61.4K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 7.37 | $109.6K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 7.22 | $61.7K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 6.84 | $37K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 5.71 | $61.7K |
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 Modesto, 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.