Average Salary in California
What workers in California earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$80,690Rank #5 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$58,240Rank #10 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$38.79Median $28.00/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,853Mean $6,724/month
- Median household income$100,149ACS 2024 · rank #6
- Price level (RPP)110.7US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in California?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in California is $80,690, and the median annual wage is $58,240, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 15.7% above the national mean of $69,770; the median is 14.2% above the national median of $50,980. California ranks #5 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #10 for median wage.
The mean is $22,450 (39%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in California earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 18,213,700 wage and salary jobs in California (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in California
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $80,690 | $58,240 |
| Monthly | $6,724 | $4,853 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $3,103 | $2,240 |
| Weekly | $1,552 | $1,120 |
| Hourly | $38.79 | $28.00 |
Estimate take-home pay on the California median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in California?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in California:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,950 | $2,996 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $41,600 | $3,467 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $58,240 | $4,853 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $97,880 | $8,157 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $159,080 | $13,257 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $58,240 beats more than half of California workers, about $97,880 puts you in the top quarter, and $159,080 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in California
| Measure (ACS 2024) | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,149 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $113,969 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $49,934 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $50,460 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $72,043 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $63,653 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in California have median earnings equal to 88% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in California
Prices in California are about 10.7% above the national average (BEA regional price parity 110.7; housing 154.3). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $58,240 is worth $52,611 at national-average prices (rank #26), and the mean wage is worth $72,891 (rank #10). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
California taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
California vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $80,690 | $58,240 | 110.7 | $52,611 |
| Arizona | $67,620 | $50,060 | 100.7 | $49,712 |
| Nevada | $62,050 | $47,660 | 100.0 | $47,660 |
| Oregon | $72,460 | $57,000 | 103.4 | $55,126 |
Highest-paying occupations in California
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $347,690 | $400,150 | 820 |
| Psychiatrists | $315,380 | $353,500 | 5,420 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $310,190 | $353,900 | 10,670 |
| Radiologists | $309,990 | $270,560 | 690 |
| Neurologists | $306,860 | $357,080 | 1,090 |
| Cardiologists | $296,940 | $185,610 | 630 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $294,080 | $79,040 | 830 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $283,780 | $292,410 | 2,230 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $273,270 | $313,890 | 6,370 |
| Chief Executives | $272,920 | $218,600 | 34,700 |
Most common jobs in California and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 970,150 | $34,320 | $16.50 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 449,840 | $42,280 | $20.33 |
| Retail Salespersons | 376,460 | $38,440 | $18.48 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 355,500 | $44,710 | $21.50 |
| Registered Nurses | 338,940 | $140,270 | $67.44 |
| Cashiers | 336,110 | $37,100 | $17.84 |
| Office Clerks, General | 311,490 | $48,460 | $23.30 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 310,870 | $42,870 | $20.61 |
| General and Operations Managers | 300,840 | $124,390 | $59.81 |
| Software Developers | 284,390 | $174,410 | $83.85 |
The largest occupation in California is home health and personal care aides, with 970,150 jobs and a median wage of $34,320. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in California
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | $252,930 | $252,010 | — |
| Lawyer | $230,040 | $195,080 | 95,770 |
| Marketing Manager | $207,860 | $193,620 | 54,660 |
| Financial Manager | $210,490 | $180,770 | 93,310 |
| Software Developer | $186,770 | $174,410 | 284,390 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $176,760 | $168,520 | 25,120 |
| Dentist (General) | $170,690 | $165,950 | 16,770 |
| Physician Assistant | $169,110 | $165,650 | 13,600 |
| Pharmacist | $162,340 | $164,610 | 34,030 |
| Electrical Engineer | $151,180 | $144,040 | 24,230 |
| Data Scientist | $156,000 | $141,590 | 39,310 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | $159,170 | $141,480 | 75,090 |
| Registered Nurse | $150,280 | $140,270 | 338,940 |
| Information Security Analyst | $149,090 | $138,570 | 15,570 |
| Construction Manager | $141,670 | $133,160 | 34,750 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $136,660 | $130,900 | 30,530 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $130,480 | $127,720 | 59,060 |
| Dental Hygienist | $128,110 | $124,930 | 24,500 |
| Occupational Therapist | $121,920 | $124,510 | 13,810 |
| General and Operations Manager | $152,250 | $124,390 | 300,840 |
| Physical Therapist | $122,580 | $124,190 | 26,580 |
| Civil Engineer | $124,540 | $122,500 | 55,180 |
| Project Management Specialist | $124,430 | $120,910 | 114,380 |
| Web Developer | $122,890 | $119,570 | 7,320 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $118,600 | $118,970 | 16,930 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $112,980 | $118,880 | 65,940 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $125,070 | $109,110 | 45,380 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrator | $115,210 | $106,440 | 26,170 |
| High School Teacher | $105,880 | $101,370 | 99,230 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $95,670 | $99,650 | 155,160 |
| Middle School Teacher | $94,680 | $98,950 | 37,300 |
| Accountant and Auditor | $103,760 | $97,050 | 175,360 |
| Correctional Officer | $92,410 | $96,370 | 37,860 |
| Firefighter | $95,090 | $85,120 | 31,470 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $95,180 | $83,500 | 104,000 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN) | $82,340 | $79,750 | 82,850 |
| Paralegal and Legal Assistant | $81,320 | $77,390 | 47,130 |
| Electrician | $85,860 | $76,160 | 73,310 |
| Carpenter | $78,810 | $75,920 | 100,750 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $72,690 | $73,950 | 20,940 |
| Plumber, Pipefitter and Steamfitter | $82,320 | $72,830 | 47,660 |
| HVAC Technician | $75,370 | $72,560 | 35,130 |
| Child, Family and School Social Worker | $71,940 | $65,200 | 60,310 |
| Automotive Service Technician | $65,470 | $64,980 | 65,420 |
| Construction Laborer | $64,870 | $60,270 | 88,240 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver | $62,020 | $60,230 | 205,090 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerk | $60,830 | $59,230 | 151,870 |
| Welder | $61,120 | $58,060 | 26,060 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $57,710 | $55,400 | 158,630 |
| Medical Assistant | $55,100 | $49,660 | 117,060 |
| Customer Service Representative | $54,640 | $49,560 | 176,850 |
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) | $50,190 | $47,630 | 110,060 |
| Retail Salesperson | $42,950 | $38,440 | 376,460 |
| Cashier | $40,060 | $37,100 | 336,110 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in California?
The average (mean) annual wage in California is $80,690, or $38.79 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $58,240 a year ($28.00 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in California?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in California works out to about $6,724 per month and the median wage to about $4,853 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in California?
Earning more than the median of $58,240 puts you above half of all workers in California. A salary of $97,880 or more is in the top 25%, and $159,080 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in California?
Median household income in California was $100,149 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does California have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. California taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.