California Salary Guide — What Every Role Pays by City
Average salary across all roles in California: $57,943/yr. Highest-paying role: Registered Nurse.
Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Source: BLS OEWS May 2025
Average Salary by Role in California
Each figure is the average of the role's median pay across the 15 California metros we track. 20 of the roles below link to a full guide with the city-by-city breakdown, career path, and negotiation numbers.
| Role | State Average Salary |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Painter salary guide | $57,293 |
| Welder salary guide | $57,128 |
| Maintenance Technician salary guide | $56,876 |
| Administrative Assistant salary guide | $55,065 |
| Pharmacy Technician salary guide | $54,425 |
Averages across 15 major California metros. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Salary Data by California City
San Jose is the highest-paying California metro we track ($68,775/yr average median) and Fresno the lowest ($51,746/yr) — a spread of about 33%. Use the per-role guides above to see whether your job follows that pattern before negotiating.
| City | Avg Median Pay (All Roles) | Top-Paying Tracked Role |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $56,857 | Registered Nurse in Los Angeles — $135,560 |
| Long Beach | $56,857 | — |
| Anaheim | $56,857 | — |
| Santa Ana | $56,857 | — |
| Irvine | $56,857 | — |
| Riverside | $54,092 | — |
| San Bernardino | $54,092 | — |
| San Francisco | $65,990 | Registered Nurse in San Francisco — $186,610 |
| Fremont | $65,990 | — |
| San Diego | $57,354 | Registered Nurse in San Diego — $139,520 |
| Sacramento | $58,036 | — |
| San Jose | $68,775 | Registered Nurse in San Jose — $216,740 |
| Fresno | $51,746 | — |
| Bakersfield | $53,588 | — |
| Stockton | $55,377 | — |
City averages for California cover the roles with BLS OEWS May 2025 data in each metro; 4 cities link to a per-role salary page.
How to use these numbers
The medians here are the middle of what employers actually pay, not the top of a range from a job ad. If an offer in California comes in under the median for your role and metro, that is your opening to negotiate — bring the BLS figure, not a guess. And if a posting hides pay entirely, the per-role guides linked above show what the market rate is before you apply.