Jobs in California — Pay & Openings by City
16,949,600 professionals employed across 15 major California metro areas (BLS OEWS May 2025). Average salary: $57,943/yr. Top hiring industry: Technology.
Last updated: 2026-07-23
Top Industries in California
Technology, Entertainment, Agriculture, Finance are the largest employment sectors in California.
The highest-paying role statewide is typically Registered Nurse.
Where you work in California changes what the same job pays. Across the roles we track, San Jose averages $68,775/yr while Fresno averages $51,746/yr — about a 33% gap. Weigh that against commute and cost of living before ruling a metro out.
Jobs in California by City
Every metro below shows the average median pay and total employment across the 46 roles we track from BLS OEWS May 2025 data, plus links to the biggest role hubs by employment.
This hub links 45 role hubs across 15 California metros. Employment = BLS OEWS May 2025, not live openings.
Top-Paying Roles in California
State averages across the California metros above. Each linked guide breaks the number down city by city and links to live openings you can apply to.
| Role | California Average Median |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurse salary guide | $149,028 |
| Dental Hygienist salary guide | $123,162 |
| Operations Manager salary guide | $123,072 |
| Logistics Coordinator salary guide | $87,690 |
| Sales Representative salary guide | $78,000 |
| Electrician salary guide | $77,752 |
| Diesel Mechanic salary guide | $75,303 |
| Carpenter salary guide | $75,057 |
| HVAC Technician salary guide | $72,201 |
| Plumber salary guide | $71,878 |
| Warehouse Supervisor salary guide | $66,663 |
| Bus Driver salary guide | $65,763 |
| Auto Mechanic salary guide | $65,736 |
| Truck Driver salary guide | $61,398 |
| Construction Laborer salary guide | $60,856 |
15 of these roles have full salary guides. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.