Average Salaries in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Explore salaries across 592 occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $98.7K, +50.0% 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: 592 occupations and 1,118,290 total jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
How the metro compares
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric. 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $700.9K | 60 |
| Psychiatrists | $353.5K | 250 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $351.8K | 1,120 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $347.9K | N/A |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $343.1K | 50 |
| Lawyers | $301.3K | 6,040 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $291.7K | 19,070 |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $264K | N/A |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $263.8K | 1,160 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $248.4K | 30 |
Largest occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 87,350 | $213.1K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 49,610 | $37.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 23,060 | $44.6K |
| Registered Nurses | 22,930 | $216.7K |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | 19,070 | $291.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 18,340 | $44.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 17,230 | $163.9K |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 16,680 | $184.4K |
| Cashiers | 16,530 | $43K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 15,780 | $43.9K |
What San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 14.19 | $209.9K |
| Semiconductor Processing Technicians | 9.28 | $50.8K |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 8.45 | $194.4K |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | 8.14 | $218.4K |
| Software Developers | 7.09 | $213.1K |
| Web And Digital Interface Designers | 5.32 | $201.3K |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 5.25 | $184.4K |
| Tapers | 5.09 | $92.8K |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers | 4.76 | $166.5K |
| Electro-Mechanical And Mechatronics Technologists And Technicians | 4.74 | $77K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81.8K | Cardiologists |
Common salary questions for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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.