Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Fresno, CA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Fresno, CA, California is $113,608 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 63 occupations and roughly 63,580 workers. Adjusted for Fresno, CA's cost-of-living index of 105.5, that nominal average translates to $107,685 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Pediatrician at $289,290; the lowest is Welder at $50,550.
Fresno, CA, CA sits near the national cost-of-living baseline (index 105.5). 63 occupations are reported here with median wages averaging $113,608.
Highest-paying role in Fresno, CA on BLS data is Pediatrician at $289,290 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Cities at the national cost-of-living baseline are useful reference points for cross-region comparisons — the gross wage and adjusted wage are roughly equivalent, so headline comparisons work.
Salaries by Occupation in Fresno, CA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $289,290 | $77,030 – $372,460 | 410 |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $287,490 | $205,860 – $436,930 | 0 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $277,650 | $111,400 – $415,150 | 320 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $188,510 | $107,990 – $285,670 | 340 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $169,160 | $128,300 – $211,110 | 890 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $166,570 | $129,300 – $212,320 | 570 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $162,680 | $75,370 – $284,670 | 1,570 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $157,460 | $70,610 – $246,540 | 170 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $155,440 | $64,400 – $206,250 | 360 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $148,650 | $105,410 – $228,200 | 650 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $143,180 | $89,920 – $211,600 | 400 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $139,990 | $85,530 – $268,700 | 430 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $138,680 | $78,890 – $172,270 | 100 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $137,650 | $85,970 – $256,400 | 1,370 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $136,730 | $100,760 – $212,520 | 100 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $136,130 | $72,730 – $246,820 | 1,750 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $134,780 | $83,520 – $179,540 | 400 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $129,060 | $78,060 – $175,410 | 740 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $125,420 | $89,890 – $167,160 | 11,030 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $123,820 | $96,250 – $142,770 | 620 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $122,470 | $73,960 – $175,940 | 250 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $119,720 | $74,870 – $164,670 | 1,250 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $118,420 | $57,830 – $171,440 | 70 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $117,580 | $58,100 – $155,860 | 40 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $116,690 | $93,720 – $150,750 | 320 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $110,960 | $88,940 – $186,370 | 820 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $101,780 | $64,740 – $135,070 | 130 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $101,730 | $86,120 – $128,970 | 530 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $101,250 | $53,470 – $166,830 | 220 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $101,020 | $57,280 – $212,360 | 1,950 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $101,010 | $56,820 – $239,420 | 6,800 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $100,750 | $63,240 – $134,990 | 3,210 |
| Architect | Engineering | $100,360 | $71,330 – $156,680 | 180 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $100,240 | $60,660 – $252,570 | 200 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $99,370 | $56,960 – $141,710 | 110 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $98,900 | $65,680 – $152,020 | 550 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $98,740 | $63,440 – $163,130 | 260 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $98,680 | $66,780 – $164,890 | 130 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $97,650 | $64,190 – $150,080 | 260 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $94,350 | $48,480 – $138,350 | 100 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $92,950 | $62,180 – $135,440 | 260 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $92,390 | $45,070 – $160,280 | 100 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $92,200 | $67,100 – $121,360 | 520 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $90,860 | $54,140 – $153,570 | 100 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $85,130 | $47,740 – $146,020 | 640 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $84,200 | $60,960 – $132,310 | 1,990 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $79,280 | $50,370 – $108,450 | 130 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $79,280 | $56,950 – $125,050 | 30 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $78,800 | $59,840 – $133,730 | 5,610 |
| Accountant | Finance | $78,690 | $56,700 – $128,600 | 2,810 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $78,060 | $35,680 – $170,090 | 470 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $77,600 | $41,480 – $121,680 | 60 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $77,060 | $41,860 – $110,360 | 70 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $72,870 | $39,920 – $113,420 | 490 |
| Electrician | Trades | $71,710 | $46,090 – $119,800 | 1,980 |
| Plumber | Trades | $64,400 | $46,590 – $124,280 | 970 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $63,470 | $45,510 – $113,210 | 1,790 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $62,880 | $35,580 – $120,270 | 1,350 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $62,450 | $45,460 – $95,780 | 920 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $62,160 | $44,470 – $95,070 | 600 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $58,280 | $40,230 – $97,310 | 250 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $52,000 | $37,790 – $77,400 | 1,890 |
| Welder | Trades | $50,550 | $42,850 – $73,730 | 950 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Fresno, CA is Pediatrician, with a median of $289,290 and a 90th-percentile reading of $372,460. That $295,430 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 63 BLS-tracked occupations in Fresno, CA, the average median salary is $113,608. The top five roles average $242,420 — about 2.1× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Fresno, CA sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 105.5). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Fresno, CA
For salary negotiation in Fresno, CA, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 105.5 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Fresno, CA Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Fresno, CA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (105.5) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Fresno, CA in 2026?
The average salary in Fresno, CA is $113,608 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 63 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $113,608. The top-paying role is Pediatrician at $289,290.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Fresno, CA?
In Fresno, CA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $94,787 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 105.5). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $113,608, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Fresno, CA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Fresno, CA are Pediatrician ($289,290), Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($287,490), Family Medicine Physician ($277,650), and Dentist ($188,510). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $148,650 to $289,290. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/fresno.
How does Fresno, CA's cost of living affect salaries?
Fresno, CA has a cost-of-living index of 105.5, 6% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $113,608 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $107,685 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Fresno, CA?
Across the 63 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Fresno, CA metro is approximately 63,580. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Fresno, CA salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Fresno, CA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 63 occupations · COL Index 105.5.