Home / Locations / California State profile Top Paying Jobs in California California has 100 tracked occupation categories totaling 2,168,100 jobs. The highest-paying occupations include Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric ($400,150), Neurologists ($357,080), Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($353,900). The cost of living index is 106.14 (national average = 100). Median 2-bedroom rent is $2,471/month.
ⓘ State-level averages. Salaries, rent, and cost of living vary significantly between metros. For more accurate data, select a metro area from the list below or browse all metros .
106.14
Cost of living index
Highest paying careers in California Rank Occupation Category Median salary Hourly 81 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary Education $135K N/A 82 Sales Managers Management $135K $64.86/hr 83 Computer Occupations, All Other Technology $134K $64.63/hr 84 Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary Education $133K N/A 85 Construction Managers Management $133K $64.02/hr 86 Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary Education $133K N/A 87 Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other Education $133K N/A 88 Industrial Production Managers Management $133K $63.76/hr 89 Surgeons, All Other Healthcare $132K $63.46/hr 90 Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors Engineering $132K $63.24/hr
Affordability snapshot: California These are statewide averages. Costs vary widely between metros, click into a specific city for precise numbers.
Cost of living vs. national average +6.1% more expensive
2-bedroom apartment (FMR) $2,471/mo
Planning a move? Compare costs with other locations:
Metro areas in California Click a metro for detailed salary, rent, and cost-of-living data specific to that area.
Bakersfield-Delano $1,483/mo rent RPP 100.9
Chico $1,625/mo rent RPP 101.2
El Centro $1,362/mo rent RPP 95.2
Fresno $1,664/mo rent RPP 102.2
Hanford-Corcoran $1,469/mo rent RPP 101.6
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim $2,120/mo rent RPP 113.6
Merced $1,503/mo rent RPP 98.3
Modesto $1,758/mo rent RPP 104.1
Napa $2,773/mo rent RPP 112.6
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura $2,693/mo rent RPP 110.5
Redding $1,590/mo rent RPP 100.7
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario $1,811/mo rent RPP 106.4
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom $2,255/mo rent RPP 106.7
Salinas $2,684/mo rent RPP 109
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad $2,511/mo rent RPP 111.9
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont $3,169/mo rent RPP 115.6
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara $3,037/mo rent RPP 110.4
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles $2,512/mo rent RPP 108.6
Santa Cruz-Watsonville $4,214/mo rent RPP 109.9
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara $3,124/mo rent RPP 108.8
Santa Rosa-Petaluma $2,827/mo rent RPP 107.8
Stockton-Lodi $1,742/mo rent RPP 105.1
Vallejo $2,178/mo rent RPP 108.5
Visalia $1,474/mo rent RPP 99.8
Yuba City $1,550/mo rent RPP 104.2
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source data is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other federal agencies. AffordMap is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Per BLS policy, "BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov."
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