Highest-paying jobs in California
The highest published median in California is for ophthalmologists, except pediatric, at $400,150 a year. The median for all occupations in the state is $58,240, against $50,980 nationally.
California · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $58,240
- Mean / yr
- $80,690
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 110.7
- Median, price-adjusted
- $52,601
- Adjusted rank
- 26 of 51
- Jobs
- 18,213,700
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in California
CA · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 793
| No. | Occupation | Median in CA | U.S. median | Employed in CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $400,150 | $300,080 | 820 |
| 2 | Neurologists | $357,080 | $248,560 | 1,090 |
| 3 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $353,900 | $232,140 | 10,670 |
| 4 | Psychiatrists | $353,500 | $281,870 | 5,420 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313,890 | $256,560 | 6,370 |
| 6 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $301,240 | $292,910 | 1,610 |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetists | $292,410 | $236,590 | 2,230 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $281,590 | $265,930 | 25,530 |
| 9 | Radiologists | $270,560 | $420,860 | 690 |
| 10 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $253,430 | $358,550 | — |
| 11 | Family Medicine Physicians | $252,010 | $244,180 | — |
| 12 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $230,730 | $224,990 | 340 |
| 13 | Chief Executives | $218,600 | $213,990 | 34,700 |
| 14 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $218,290 | $175,140 | 94,720 |
| 15 | Pediatricians, General | $214,140 | $210,040 | 6,680 |
| 16 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $210,280 | $171,270 | 29,630 |
| 17 | Natural Sciences Managers | $210,230 | $167,220 | 14,950 |
| 18 | Physicists | $207,490 | $172,250 | 5,930 |
| 19 | Nurse Midwives | $203,840 | $134,040 | 870 |
| 20 | Podiatrists | $201,300 | $160,300 | 1,000 |
| 21 | Lawyers | $195,080 | $159,670 | 95,770 |
| 22 | Marketing Managers | $193,620 | $166,790 | 54,660 |
| 23 | Physicians, Pathologists | $186,300 | $312,400 | 1,790 |
| 24 | Cardiologists | $185,610 | $496,010 | 630 |
| 25 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $185,180 | $161,740 | 19,820 |
| 26 | Financial Managers | $180,770 | $166,570 | 93,310 |
| 27 | Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | $180,500 | $81,490 | 120 |
| 28 | Materials Scientists | $177,030 | $117,790 | 1,030 |
| 29 | Managers, All Other | $174,560 | $141,900 | 99,580 |
| 30 | Software Developers | $174,410 | $135,980 | 284,390 |
| 31 | Nuclear Engineers | $172,400 | $133,970 | 1,070 |
| 32 | Database Architects | $170,160 | $139,500 | 6,210 |
| 33 | Human Resources Managers | $170,080 | $149,280 | 27,450 |
| 34 | Nurse Practitioners | $168,520 | $132,300 | 25,120 |
| 35 | Public Relations Managers | $167,980 | $146,910 | 9,400 |
| 36 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,230 | $133,660 | 3,080 |
| 37 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $166,730 | $149,230 | 2,970 |
| 38 | Radiation Therapists | $166,450 | $105,310 | 1,720 |
| 39 | Dentists, General | $165,950 | $170,950 | 16,770 |
| 40 | Physician Assistants | $165,650 | $135,880 | 13,600 |
| 41 | Commercial Pilots | $165,590 | $123,220 | 4,900 |
| 42 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $165,110 | $107,310 | 17,350 |
| 43 | Pharmacists | $164,610 | $140,910 | 34,030 |
| 44 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $163,960 | $106,040 | 13,200 |
| 45 | Veterinarians | $163,920 | $130,100 | 9,170 |
| 46 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $162,380 | $101,370 | 1,500 |
| 47 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $160,520 | $130,220 | 20,830 |
| 48 | Air Traffic Controllers | $160,080 | $148,080 | 2,290 |
| 49 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $159,950 | $105,870 | 31,370 |
| 50 | Purchasing Managers | $159,830 | $148,080 | 7,470 |
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in California
- Neurologists — $357,080 (1,090 jobs)
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — $353,900 (10,670 jobs)
- Psychiatrists — $353,500 (5,420 jobs)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians — $313,890 (6,370 jobs)
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists — $301,240 (1,610 jobs)
- Nurse Anesthetists — $292,410 (2,230 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $281,590 (25,530 jobs)
- Chief Executives — $218,600 (34,700 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $218,290 (94,720 jobs)
- Pediatricians, General — $214,140 (6,680 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.