California
State · BLS OEWS 2023
In California, BLS OEWS tracks wages for 779 detailed occupations covering about 16,736,990 jobs. Across occupations, local pay runs 16.7% above the national median on average.
Highest-Paying Occupations (2023)
"vs National" compares this area's median for each occupation to the U.S. national median — a positive number means the area pays a premium for that role.
| Occupation | Median Annual | vs National | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $231,080 | +166% | 38,920 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $228,970 | +39% | 15,480 |
| Dermatologists | $226,050 | — | 700 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $224,540 | — | 7,130 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $219,790 | -3.5% | 910 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $210,490 | +24.2% | 98,430 |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $205,390 | — | 380 |
| Pediatricians, General | $204,400 | +2.9% | 4,350 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $198,580 | +25.9% | 14,080 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $197,420 | +19.4% | 35,630 |
| Nurse Midwives | $189,770 | +46.4% | 890 |
| Podiatrists | $186,040 | +31.3% | 850 |
| Lawyers | $185,050 | +27% | 94,300 |
| Physicists | $178,700 | +14.8% | 5,080 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $175,530 | +21% | 7,560 |
| Marketing Managers | $174,480 | -2.8% | 59,830 |
| Financial Managers | $169,780 | +51.5% | 97,400 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $169,700 | +22.9% | 29,930 |
| Software Developers | $168,660 | +1.2% | 304,390 |
| Managers, All Other | $168,600 | +26.2% | 101,230 |
| Dentists, General | $167,010 | +0.4% | 18,820 |
| Human Resources Managers | $166,920 | +22.4% | 27,980 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $165,370 | +62.5% | 8,890 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $164,050 | +29.9% | 21,740 |
| Radiologists | $163,440 | — | 2,400 |