California Average Salary 2026
Average pay, top-paying occupations, and cost of living across California.
The average salary in California is $135,520 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data aggregated across 8 metropolitan areas (San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Riverside-San Bernardino, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield). The highest-paying tracked occupation in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $353,821 median; 51 occupations pay six-figure ($100K+) medians. Adjusted for the state's average cost-of-living index of 144, the average median equates to $94,111 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
California has 8 metropolitan areas in our BLS OEWS coverage. Wages within the state vary substantially by metro — large coastal cities typically pay materially more than smaller inland ones, though the cost-of-living gap closes a lot of the apparent difference. BLS OEWS data captures every metropolitan statistical area (MSA) above a population threshold. Cities below that threshold roll up to non-metropolitan areas, which are not represented in the per-metro view but are captured in state-level rollups.
For workers comparing California job markets, the per-metro pages give the role-specific breakdown that headline state averages obscure. The role-specific ranking pages — which list the highest-paying cities for a single occupation — are particularly useful when geographic flexibility is real and the role is the constraint.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in California
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Healthcare · 380 jobs in state · top metro: Riverside-San Bernardino ($375,400)
Family Medicine Physician
Healthcare · 5,990 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($351,760)
Computer and Information Systems Manager
Technology · 80,750 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($291,660)
Pediatrician
Healthcare · 5,100 jobs in state · top metro: Sacramento ($395,040)
Lawyer
Legal · 83,910 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($301,320)
Marketing Manager
Management · 44,930 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($231,370)
Financial Manager
Finance · 78,070 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($225,280)
Software Developer
Technology · 245,620 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($213,110)
Human Resources Manager
Management · 22,700 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($220,460)
Nurse Practitioner
Healthcare · 20,970 jobs in state · top metro: San Jose ($231,560)
Cities in California
San Jose, CA
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 195.8
San Francisco, CA
63 occupations tracked · COL index: 179.6
San Diego, CA
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 160.2
Sacramento, CA
64 occupations tracked · COL index: 124.7
Los Angeles, CA
65 occupations tracked · COL index: 166
Bakersfield, CA
60 occupations tracked · COL index: 100.6
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
62 occupations tracked · COL index: 122.4
Fresno, CA
63 occupations tracked · COL index: 105.5
Frequently Asked Questions
The average salary in California is $135,520 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release aggregated across 8 BLS-tracked metros. The figure is employment-weighted, so larger occupations contribute proportionally more to the average. The top-paying role in the state is Obstetrician/Gynecologist at $353,821 median.
The top five highest-paying occupations in California, ranked by employment-weighted median across all tracked metros, are Obstetrician/Gynecologist ($353,821), Family Medicine Physician ($316,431), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($230,194), Pediatrician ($207,215), Lawyer ($202,189). See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/state/california.
51 of the 65 BLS-tracked occupations in California have a state-aggregated median salary of $100,000 or higher. That places this state in the upper tier nationally.
San Jose, CA leads California with an average median salary of $162,125 across 64 BLS-tracked occupations.
The average cost-of-living index across California's tracked metros is 144 (national avg = 100). The state average median of $135,520 translates to $94,111 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The high COL absorbs much of the nominal pay premium.
State aggregates are employment-weighted across the BLS-tracked metros in California, using the OEWS 2025 reference period.
505 data points · BLS OEWS 2025 · last refreshed 2026-05-21
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.