Salary in California: 18% Above National

California has the largest state economy in the US, anchored by Silicon Valley tech, Hollywood entertainment, Central Valley agriculture, and Southern California aerospace. Wages are the highest among populous states but offset by elevated housing costs.

Quick Answer

As of April 2026, salaries in California run 18% above the US national median. Cost of living index: 145 (vs 100 nationally). State income tax applies. Top hiring metros: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. Unemployment rate 5.4%. California has the largest state economy in the US, anchored by Silicon Valley tech, Hollywood entertainment, Central Valley agriculture, and Southern California aerospace. Wages are the highest among populous states but offset by elevated housing costs.

Salary Multiplier

1.18×

Cost of Living

145

Unemployment

5.4%

Income Tax

Yes

Top Industries in California

TechEntertainmentAgricultureAerospaceBiotech

Top California Metros

San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Sacramento Oakland Fresno Long Beach

Salaries by Job in California

50 jobs sorted by California median salary.

Job	Category	Median	Top 10%
Physician	Healthcare	$270,574	$472,000
AI Engineer	Technology	$218,300	$377,600
Dentist	Healthcare	$201,674	$336,300
Machine Learning Engineer	Technology	$191,160	$348,100
Marketing Manager	Marketing	$186,770	$259,600
Site Reliability Engineer	Technology	$182,900	$301,785
Lawyer	Legal	$171,997	$295,000
Security Engineer	Technology	$167,560	$276,474
Product Manager	Technology	$163,265	$253,700
Pharmacist	Healthcare	$162,226	$194,700
Sales Manager	Sales	$159,489	$259,600
Cloud Engineer	Technology	$159,300	$262,845
Software Engineer	Technology	$156,079	$246,172
DevOps Engineer	Technology	$153,400	$230,100
HR Manager	Human Resources	$153,400	$236,000
Mobile Developer	Technology	$153,400	$253,110
Nurse Practitioner	Healthcare	$151,618	$206,500
Backend Developer	Technology	$151,040	$249,216
Full Stack Developer	Technology	$141,600	$233,640
Cybersecurity Analyst	Technology	$141,435	$206,500
Frontend Developer	Technology	$139,240	$229,746
Electrical Engineer	Engineering	$130,437	$206,500
Scrum Master	Technology	$129,800	$214,170
Data Scientist	Technology	$127,464	$217,226
Supply Chain Manager	Operations	$123,900	$204,435
Operations Manager	Operations	$120,891	$206,500
Financial Analyst	Finance	$117,870	$206,500
Physical Therapist	Healthcare	$117,658	$153,400
Mechanical Engineer	Engineering	$117,422	$180,540
UX Designer	Design	$115,640	$194,700
Occupational Therapist	Healthcare	$113,717	$147,500
Project Manager	Operations	$113,280	$194,700
Financial Planner	Finance	$113,280	$186,912
Civil Engineer	Engineering	$113,150	$170,640
Customer Success Manager	Operations	$112,100	$184,965
Web Developer	Technology	$109,445	$171,100
QA Engineer	Technology	$108,560	$179,124
Business Analyst	Operations	$104,619	$171,100
Content Marketing Manager	Marketing	$103,840	$171,336
Registered Nurse	Healthcare	$101,563	$156,562
Data Analyst	Technology	$99,120	$163,548
Accountant	Finance	$94,258	$156,574
Recruiter	Human Resources	$88,500	$146,025
Executive Assistant	Operations	$84,960	$140,184
Social Media Manager	Marketing	$84,960	$140,184
Copywriter	Marketing	$84,960	$140,184
Teacher	Education	$76,865	$120,620
Paralegal	Legal	$73,160	$120,714
Graphic Designer	Design	$71,071	$112,100
Real Estate Agent	Sales	$66,812	$194,700

Methodology

California salary figures are computed by adjusting the BLS national median for each job by California's state-level multiplier of 1.18× — a composite of state-level OEWS data and BEA Regional Price Parities. Last reviewed April 29, 2026.

Data Sources

Other States

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