Top Paying Jobs in California (2026)
California has 36,980 jobs across diverse industries. The highest-paying occupations include Chief Executives ($220,600), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($211,340), Natural Sciences Managers ($204,100).
$181K
Avg. median salary
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Highest paying careers in California
| Rank | Occupation | Category | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | Management | $221K | $106.06/hr |
| 2 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | Management | $211K | $101.6/hr |
| 3 | Natural Sciences Managers | Management | $204K | $98.13/hr |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | Management | $202K | $97.02/hr |
| 5 | Physicians, All Other | Healthcare | $202K | $96.88/hr |
| 6 | Lawyers | Legal | $198K | $95.09/hr |
| 7 | Nurse Midwives | Healthcare | $197K | $94.57/hr |
| 8 | Podiatrists | Healthcare | $194K | $93.03/hr |
| 9 | Physicists | Science | $181K | $86.97/hr |
| 10 | Computer Hardware Engineers | Engineering | $180K | $86.48/hr |
| 11 | Dentists, General | Healthcare | $179K | $85.84/hr |
| 12 | Marketing Managers | Management | $178K | $85.66/hr |
| 13 | Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | Technology | $175K | $84.22/hr |
| 14 | Financial Managers | Management | $175K | $84.1/hr |
| 15 | Software Developers | Technology | $171K | $82.17/hr |
| 16 | Managers, All Other | Management | $171K | $82.09/hr |
| 17 | Human Resources Managers | Management | $169K | $81.32/hr |
| 18 | Nuclear Engineers | Engineering | $168K | $80.6/hr |
| 19 | Nurse Practitioners | Healthcare | $167K | $80.1/hr |
| 20 | Physicians, Pathologists | Healthcare | $166K | $79.78/hr |
| 21 | Pharmacists | Healthcare | $165K | $79.4/hr |
| 22 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | Public Safety | $163K | $78.24/hr |
| 23 | Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | Education | $162K | $/hr |
| 24 | Physician Assistants | Healthcare | $161K | $77.44/hr |
| 25 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | Management | $161K | $77.28/hr |
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