Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Los Angeles, CA Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Los Angeles, CA, California is $122,494 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 65 occupations and roughly 1,109,660 workers. Adjusted for Los Angeles, CA's cost-of-living index of 166, that nominal average translates to $73,792 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $301,240; the lowest is Welder at $56,160.
Los Angeles, CA, CA is a high-cost-of-living city (index 166.0). BLS OEWS reports 65 occupations with median wages averaging $122,494. The headline wages need cost-of-living adjustment to compare meaningfully to lower-COL markets.
Highest-paying role in Los Angeles, CA on BLS data is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $301,240 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. For workers evaluating Los Angeles, CA as a destination, the gross-wage premium typical of high-cost cities partially offsets the cost-of-living differential. Whether the trade-off is favorable depends on individual factors (housing tenure, household size, education-cost obligations) more than on aggregate index numbers.
Salaries by Occupation in Los Angeles, CA
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $301,240 | $99,060 – $401,440 | 0 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $204,370 | $125,600 – $297,260 | 23,180 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $194,410 | $93,980 – $375,440 | 41,580 |
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $186,700 | $74,510 – $307,820 | 0 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $176,900 | $96,810 – $306,670 | 3,080 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $175,310 | $102,360 – $337,680 | 34,480 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $171,900 | $100,360 – $318,960 | 18,550 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $168,400 | $98,810 – $299,740 | 9,070 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $161,890 | $99,570 – $220,580 | 3,890 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $161,470 | $119,950 – $216,180 | 10,060 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $160,920 | $98,270 – $223,150 | 55,540 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $160,080 | $67,410 – $284,050 | 2,740 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $157,440 | $62,800 – $209,060 | 12,450 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $155,960 | $81,450 – $227,300 | 940 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $147,510 | $90,880 – $212,130 | 3,500 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $139,990 | $74,510 – $219,380 | 6,300 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $139,780 | $79,230 – $209,460 | 8,970 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $138,940 | $73,540 – $209,530 | 2,360 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $135,560 | $100,980 – $174,200 | 109,360 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $134,230 | $68,630 – $228,400 | 23,740 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $132,330 | $64,780 – $286,390 | 37,790 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $129,740 | $71,080 – $208,280 | 9,850 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $129,630 | $54,230 – $195,820 | 4,820 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $128,470 | $60,910 – $262,270 | 2,050 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $128,110 | $62,560 – $195,390 | 520 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $125,830 | $62,400 – $299,990 | 104,610 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $125,060 | $72,110 – $187,640 | 7,530 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $124,490 | $67,690 – $285,090 | 13,980 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $123,900 | $77,040 – $173,340 | 8,780 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $122,980 | $56,800 – $137,310 | 7,940 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $122,210 | $60,660 – $170,880 | 7,200 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $122,040 | $82,840 – $154,730 | 4,950 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $121,560 | $76,430 – $165,620 | 16,900 |
| Statistician | Technology | $116,200 | $75,600 – $166,070 | 580 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $113,040 | $78,320 – $166,090 | 11,460 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $112,540 | $60,900 – $168,050 | 2,280 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $109,740 | $79,490 – $160,430 | 4,800 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $109,700 | $49,720 – $203,490 | 20,060 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $108,640 | $72,860 – $170,670 | 16,340 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $108,170 | $85,580 – $160,070 | 9,750 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $107,290 | $55,670 – $166,990 | 2,310 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $107,090 | $61,700 – $160,460 | 3,400 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $106,550 | $58,100 – $201,320 | 9,220 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $106,290 | $70,870 – $159,750 | 8,770 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $106,000 | $66,820 – $162,050 | 1,630 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $104,930 | $60,300 – $191,160 | 37,060 |
| Architect | Engineering | $104,170 | $75,640 – $164,530 | 4,870 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $102,260 | $67,500 – $181,190 | 19,600 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $101,860 | $62,250 – $129,130 | 44,790 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $100,960 | $67,190 – $133,850 | 32,250 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $98,270 | $62,420 – $161,660 | 3,480 |
| Accountant | Finance | $94,360 | $60,310 – $154,630 | 70,640 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $82,990 | $48,720 – $157,370 | 39,390 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $80,360 | $35,930 – $167,860 | 9,690 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $79,860 | $48,090 – $136,870 | 11,910 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $77,520 | $51,200 – $112,160 | 22,240 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $77,250 | $60,740 – $162,030 | 0 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $75,740 | $46,860 – $117,430 | 30,600 |
| Electrician | Trades | $73,810 | $46,140 – $131,680 | 20,610 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $72,400 | $45,500 – $123,590 | 13,810 |
| Plumber | Trades | $71,110 | $46,090 – $125,080 | 15,690 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $67,430 | $46,790 – $122,540 | 10,150 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $62,820 | $36,520 – $90,890 | 22,330 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $57,220 | $50,090 – $116,230 | 5,390 |
| Welder | Trades | $56,160 | $44,530 – $79,870 | 7,850 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Los Angeles, CA is Obstetrician/Gynecologist, with a median of $301,240 and a 90th-percentile reading of $401,440. That $302,380 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 65 BLS-tracked occupations in Los Angeles, CA, the average median salary is $122,494. The top five roles average $212,724 — about 1.7× 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.
Los Angeles, CA is one of the most expensive metros tracked here, with a cost-of-living index of 166 — about 66% above the U.S. national average. Housing dominates that premium; in markets at this level, mortgage or rent often consumes 35–45% of pre-tax pay even at the median, so the headline salary numbers below understate how much purchasing power you actually keep.
Salary Negotiation in Los Angeles, CA
For salary negotiation in Los Angeles, 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 166 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 Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (166) 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 Los Angeles, CA in 2026?
The average salary in Los Angeles, CA is $122,494 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 65 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $122,494. The top-paying role is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $301,240.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Los Angeles, CA?
In Los Angeles, CA, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $60,241 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 166). That is meaningfully below $100K of buying power — high-cost metros eat into nominal salaries. Compared to the city's average median of $122,494, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Los Angeles, CA?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Los Angeles, CA are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($301,240), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($204,370), Lawyer ($194,410), and Family Medicine Physician ($186,700). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $161,470 to $301,240. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/los-angeles.
How does Los Angeles, CA's cost of living affect salaries?
Los Angeles, CA has a cost-of-living index of 166, 66% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $122,494 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $73,792 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 Los Angeles, CA?
Across the 65 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Los Angeles, CA metro is approximately 1,109,660. 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 Los Angeles, 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, Los Angeles, CA MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 65 occupations · COL Index 166.