Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel Salary
The median pay for a sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel in California is $80,850/year ($38.87/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $169K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $76,173 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 48.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $81K get you in California?
About sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $70K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 48.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $169K or more, a $125K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $117K | +44% | 13,390 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $97K | +20% | 29,980 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $79K | -2% | 50,470 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $75K | -8% | 11,730 |
| Napa | $73K | -9% | 370 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $73K | -10% | 1,470 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $72K | -11% | 6,920 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $67K | -17% | 1,240 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $67K | -17% | 1,330 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $67K | -17% | 650 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $66K | -19% | 550 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $65K | -20% | 1,890 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $63K | -23% | 1,540 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $62K | -23% | 9,270 |
| Vallejo | $62K | -23% | 780 |
| Fresno | $62K | -24% | 2,170 |
| Modesto | $61K | -25% | 840 |
| Redding | $56K | -30% | 370 |
| Visalia | $54K | -33% | 610 |
| El Centro | $53K | -34% | 200 |
| Salinas | $53K | -34% | 830 |
| Yuba City | $52K | -36% | 220 |
| Chico | $50K | -39% | 360 |
| Merced | $49K | -39% | 330 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $46K | -43% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 48.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,594/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 95% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $81K here vs. $70K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels?
California pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $70K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels make in California?
The median is $80,850 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,240, and experienced sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels can clear $168,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,134/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 48.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel salary is worth about $76,173 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travels get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.