If you’re considering a move to California, you might be wondering how much you can expect to earn and what the average salary in California is. A lot of factors go into determining how much money you’ll make no matter which state you live in, of course. Your chosen field and level of experience both play into how much you can expect to earn from your job. The area of the state in which you live will also impact your paycheck. You should take all of these factors into account when figuring out how much you can expect to earn in the Golden State.
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Average Salary in California
According data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (1-year estimates), the median household income in California is $95,521. Note that this figure is the median gross income, meaning it does not take into account taxes or other deductions. It also does not include other non-cash benefits that one might get from a job, such as insurance or paid vacation time. Also note that this is household income, which includes both single-earner households and single-income homes. The mean income, meanwhile, is $134,491.
Median is the income figure that’s smack dab in the middle of a list of household incomes. Mean is the same as the average. In other words, it’s the number you get if you add up a number of incomes and divide that figure by the total number of incomes you’d added up. Median is a more reliable descriptor for average income because it isn’t as affected by outlier salaries on either end. For example, extremely low-paid professions don’t drag down the figure and extremely high salaries don’t artificially inflate it.
Average Salary in California by City
The average salary in California varies greatly by city. Different cities have different costs of living, so it makes sense that the average salary is higher in some of the places where it costs more to live. The cities with the highest average household income are Fremont, San Francisco and San Jose. The city with the lowest average income is San Bernardino.
Here is the average household income for the 20 largest cities in the state, based on data from the 2023 American Community Survey (1-year estimates):
Average Household Income By City (Sorted By Highest Income)
| City | Average Household Income |
|---|---|
| Fremont | $215,515 |
| San Francisco | $193,467 |
| San Jose | $183,553 |
| Irvine | $168,538 |
| Oakland | $144,796 |
| San Diego | $142,898 |
| Chula Vista | $127,848 |
| Los Angeles | $120,563 |
| Fontana | $119,588 |
| Riverside | $111,850 |
| Sacramento | $111,700 |
| Long Beach | $110,140 |
| Oxnard | $109,913 |
| Anaheim | $108,284 |
| Santa Ana | $106,440 |
| Modesto | $100,769 |
| Bakersfield | $97,313 |
| Stockton | $96,543 |
| Fresno | $92,964 |
| San Bernardino | $80,118 |
This table highlights how much the average salary in California can vary based on where you live. Remember that California is a very large state, and thus everything from the weather to the cost of living is also going to be different based on where you choose to put down roots.
Average Salary in California By County
You can also break down the average salary in California by county. According to data from the 2023 American Community Survey (1-year estimates), the counties with the highest average household incomes are San Mateo, Santa Clara and Marin. The table below includes the average household income for each of California’s 43 counties.
Average Household Income By County (Sorted By Highest Income)
| County | Average Household Income |
|---|---|
| San Mateo County | $219,670 |
| Santa Clara County | $216,363 |
| Marin County | $215,351 |
| San Francisco County | $193,467 |
| Alameda County | $168,037 |
| Contra Costa County | $167,979 |
| Napa County | $146,789 |
| Orange County | $146,635 |
| Santa Cruz County | $146,371 |
| Placer County | $140,475 |
| San Benito County | $140,125 |
| Ventura County | $139,725 |
| El Dorado County | $139,596 |
| San Diego County | $139,510 |
| Sonoma County | $135,920 |
| California (Statewide) | $134,491 |
| San Luis Obispo County | $126,426 |
| Santa Barbara County | $125,568 |
| Solano County | $124,262 |
| Los Angeles County | $124,095 |
| Monterey County | $121,837 |
| Yolo County | $119,995 |
| Nevada County | $118,753 |
| Sacramento County | $115,185 |
| Riverside County | $114,316 |
| San Joaquin County | $114,276 |
| San Bernardino County | $106,211 |
| Stanislaus County | $102,332 |
| Yuba County | $97,696 |
| Shasta County | $96,102 |
| Fresno County | $96,041 |
| Sutter County | $92,096 |
| Tulare County | $92,039 |
| Mendocino County | $91,122 |
| Kern County | $90,044 |
| Butte County | $88,250 |
| Madera County | $87,692 |
| Humboldt County | $87,290 |
| Kings County | $81,902 |
| Imperial County | $81,473 |
| Lake County | $81,281 |
| Merced County | $80,496 |
| Tehama County | $79,088 |
Highest Paying Jobs in California
Of course, how much money you make in California is also largely dependent on what your job is. The table below shows the top 10 paying jobs in California and each job’s mean annual wage, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2023. Most of the highest paying jobs are in the medical field, with only CEOs and airline pilots as outliers.
Average Salary in California By Job (Sorted By Highest Income)
| Job | Average Household Income |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $452,930 |
| Cardiologists | $389,120 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons (Except Pediatric) | $346,070 |
| Surgeons (All Others) | $340,260 |
| Ophthalmologists (Except Pediatric) | $324,270 |
| Dermatologists | $313,330 |
| Psychiatrists | $288,270 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $286,040 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $285,470 |
| Chief Executives | $281,030 |
Bottom Line
The average salary in California is $76,960, but there is a big gap between the lowest earning occupations (forest and conservation workers made less than half the average in 2023 at $33,660) and the highest earning almost six times more than the Golden State’s average (anesthesiologists made $452,930 in 2023). Your salary in California largely will depend on where you live and what your job is.
Retirement Tips
- Eventually, you’ll want to stop working whether you live in California or elsewhere. To be able to live comfortably without bringing home a regular salary, you’ll need to plan carefull. You may find it helpful to hire a financial advisor to help you with that planning. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- No matter how much money you make living in California, you’ll end up giving some of it to the government. You can determine your likely tax burden with SmartAsset’s California income tax calculator.
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