Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs in California
The 40 best-paid occupations in California with at least 100 people employed, by state median wage.
Quick answer
The highest-paying occupation in California with at least 100 people employed was Ophthalmologist, with a state median of $400,150 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
40 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay in California | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ophthalmologist | $400,150 | 820 |
| 2 | Neurologist | $357,080 | 1,090 |
| 3 | Airline Pilot | $353,900 | 10,670 |
| 4 | Psychiatrist | $353,500 | 5,420 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313,890 | 6,370 |
| 6 | OB-GYN | $301,240 | 1,610 |
| 7 | CRNA | $292,410 | 2,230 |
| 8 | Physicians, All Other | $281,590 | 25,530 |
| 9 | Radiologist | $270,560 | 690 |
| 10 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $230,730 | 340 |
| 11 | CEO | $218,600 | 34,700 |
| 12 | IT Manager | $218,290 | 94,720 |
| 13 | Pediatrician | $214,140 | 6,680 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $210,280 | 29,630 |
| 15 | Natural Sciences Managers | $210,230 | 14,950 |
| 16 | Physicist | $207,490 | 5,930 |
| 17 | Nurse Midwife | $203,840 | 870 |
| 18 | Podiatrist | $201,300 | 1,000 |
| 19 | Lawyer | $195,080 | 95,770 |
| 20 | Marketing Manager | $193,620 | 54,660 |
| 21 | Pathologist | $186,300 | 1,790 |
| 22 | Cardiologist | $185,610 | 630 |
| 23 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $185,180 | 19,820 |
| 24 | Financial Manager | $180,770 | 93,310 |
| 25 | Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | $180,500 | 120 |
| 26 | Materials Scientists | $177,030 | 1,030 |
| 27 | Managers, All Other | $174,560 | 99,580 |
| 28 | Software Engineer | $174,410 | 284,390 |
| 29 | Nuclear Engineer | $172,400 | 1,070 |
| 30 | Database Architect | $170,160 | 6,210 |
| 31 | HR Manager | $170,080 | 27,450 |
| 32 | Nurse Practitioner | $168,520 | 25,120 |
| 33 | Public Relations Manager | $167,980 | 9,400 |
| 34 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,230 | 3,080 |
| 35 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $166,730 | 2,970 |
| 36 | Radiation Therapist | $166,450 | 1,720 |
| 37 | Dentist | $165,950 | 16,770 |
| 38 | Physician Assistant | $165,650 | 13,600 |
| 39 | Commercial Pilot | $165,590 | 4,900 |
| 40 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $165,110 | 17,350 |
Method
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state estimates for California, May 2025: occupations with at least 100 people employed and a published median, ranked by median annual wage.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.