California
State · 2024 BLS OEWS data
$66,420
Median Annual Wage
+34% since 2014
16,812,520
Total Workers
777
Occupations Tracked
California is a State with 777 tracked occupations and an estimated 16,812,520 total workers. Wages grew an average of 43.3% from 2014 to 2024, with Computer and Mathematical Occupations and Management Occupations offering the highest median salaries.
Wages by Occupation Group
Top Occupations
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $220,600 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $211,340 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $204,100 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $201,810 |
| Physicians, All Other | $201,510 |
| Lawyers | $197,790 |
| Nurse Midwives | $196,700 |
| Podiatrists | $193,510 |
| Physicists | $180,900 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $179,880 |
Job Market Trends
2014 → 2024
+43.3%
avg wage growth since 2014
+11.2%
employment change since 2014
Fastest Wage Growth
| Motion Picture Projectionists Personal Care and Service Occupations |
+319.4%
$20,950 → $87,870
|
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical Construction and Extraction Occupations |
+163.1%
$45,560 → $119,890
|
| Forest and Conservation Workers Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations |
+159.8%
$16,810 → $43,680
|
| Transit and Railroad Police Protective Service Occupations |
+139.9%
$45,780 → $109,810
|
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations |
+138.2%
$58,810 → $140,080
|
Most Jobs Added
| Marriage and Family Therapists Community and Social Service Occupations |
+400.0%
6,170 → 32,070
|
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations |
+300.0%
6,710 → 31,750
|
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers Construction and Extraction Occupations |
+300.0%
1,800 → 8,970
|
| Counselors, All Other Community and Social Service Occupations |
+200.0%
4,150 → 13,320
|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Protective Service Occupations |
+200.0%
3,740 → 12,980
|
Wage Declines
| Rail Transportation Workers, All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations |
-33.7%
$82,580 → $54,710
|
| Choreographers Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations |
-23.3%
$79,920 → $61,320
|
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
-18.6%
$68,700 → $55,890
|
| Medical Transcriptionists Healthcare Support Occupations |
-17.2%
$47,190 → $39,090
|
| Terrazzo Workers and Finishers Construction and Extraction Occupations |
-10.9%
$45,240 → $40,330
|
Wage Trends in California
View data table
| Year | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| 2024 latest | $66,420 |
| 2023 | $64,410 |
| 2022 | $61,395 |
| 2021 | $59,765 |
| 2020 | $57,050 |
| 2019 | $55,290 |
| 2018 | $53,880 |
| 2017 | $51,840 |
| 2016 | $50,680 |
| 2015 | $49,880 |
| 2014 | $49,730 |
Metro Areas in California
BLS tracks 28 metropolitan statistical areas within this state.
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Chico, CA
El Centro, CA
Fresno, CA
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
Madera, CA
Merced, CA
Modesto, CA
Napa, CA
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
Redding, CA
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Salinas, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Vallejo, CA
Visalia, CA
Yuba City, CA