Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links marked with (Ad). If you click through and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

193 Jobs That Pay Over $100K in California (2025)

Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed: 2026-05-19

There are 193 occupations in California with a median salary above $100K per year. The highest-paying is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric at $400,150/year. Based on 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025

$50K+ $75K+ $100K+ $150K+

Average Salary by State

Average salaries across all 50 states. Click a state to see its $100K+ jobs.

$57,873

$89,679

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS 2025 Annual

AL $63,963 AK $79,599 AZ $72,019 AR $58,447 CA $83,172 CO $76,493 CT $78,019 DE $71,614 DC $89,679 FL $67,772 GA $69,372 HI $73,976 ID $67,243 IL $74,900 IN $68,360 IA $68,184 KS $65,075 KY $66,085 LA $62,928 ME $70,351 MD $79,476 MA $81,221 MI $70,102 MN $79,901 MS $57,873 MO $67,599 MT $65,918 NE $68,499 NV $69,352 NH $75,725 NJ $80,366 NM $68,121 NY $83,189 NC $67,685 ND $70,391 OH $69,737 OK $63,871 OR $75,924 PA $70,617 RI $78,209 SC $66,430 SD $64,417 TN $66,638 TX $68,700 UT $68,195 VT $74,078 VA $73,984 WA $86,472 WV $62,235 WI $71,762 WY $66,073

193
Jobs Over $100K

$400,150

#1: Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric

$142,944

Avg of Qualifying Jobs

3,502,520

Workers in These Jobs

All 193 Jobs Paying Over $100K in California

Ranked by median annual salary. Click any job to see the full salary breakdown.

#	Occupation	Median Salary	Mean Salary	Workers
1	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$400,150	$347,690	820
2	Neurologists	$357,080	$306,860	1,090
3	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	$353,900	$310,190	10,670
4	Psychiatrists	$353,500	$315,380	5,420
5	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$313,890	$273,270	6,370
6	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$301,240	$272,520	1,610
7	Nurse Anesthetists	$292,410	$283,780	2,230
8	Radiologists	$270,560	$309,990	690
9	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	$253,430	$258,550	N/A
10	Family Medicine Physicians	$252,010	$252,930	N/A
11	Chief Executives	$218,600	$272,920	34,700
12	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$218,290	$238,440	94,720
13	Pediatricians, General	$214,140	$221,480	6,680
14	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$210,280	$213,110	29,630
15	Natural Sciences Managers	$210,230	$223,850	14,950
16	Physicists	$207,490	$201,930	5,930
17	Nurse Midwives	$203,840	$194,730	870
18	Podiatrists	$201,300	$212,350	1,000
19	Lawyers	$195,080	$230,040	95,770
20	Marketing Managers	$193,620	$207,860	54,660
21	Physicians, Pathologists	$186,300	$221,080	1,790
22	Cardiologists	$185,610	$296,940	630
23	Computer Hardware Engineers	$185,180	$190,590	19,820
24	Financial Managers	$180,770	$210,490	93,310
25	Materials Scientists	$177,030	$189,460	1,030
26	Software Developers	$174,410	$186,770	284,390
27	Nuclear Engineers	$172,400	$160,980	1,070
28	Database Architects	$170,160	$175,330	6,210
29	Human Resources Managers	$170,080	$191,920	27,450
30	Nurse Practitioners	$168,520	$176,760	25,120
31	Public Relations Managers	$167,980	$185,180	9,400
32	Advertising and Promotions Managers	$167,230	$183,200	3,080
33	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$166,730	$180,130	2,970
34	Radiation Therapists	$166,450	$161,890	1,720
35	Dentists, General	$165,950	$170,690	16,770
36	Physician Assistants	$165,650	$169,110	13,600
37	Commercial Pilots	$165,590	$202,040	4,900
38	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	$165,110	$196,500	17,350
39	Pharmacists	$164,610	$162,340	34,030
40	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$163,960	$163,210	13,200
41	Veterinarians	$163,920	$169,860	9,170
42	Nuclear Medicine Technologists	$162,380	$160,110	1,500
43	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$160,520	$161,520	20,830
44	Air Traffic Controllers	$160,080	$156,910	2,290
45	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$159,950	$152,480	31,370
46	Purchasing Managers	$159,830	$165,780	7,470
47	Computer and Information Research Scientists	$159,100	$168,580	8,440
48	Computer Network Architects	$158,870	$161,350	14,870
49	Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	$158,130	$143,080	520
50	Aerospace Engineers	$157,620	$159,960	9,170
51	Training and Development Managers	$156,260	$169,950	6,680
52	Geography Teachers, Postsecondary	$146,040	$155,320	280
53	Electrical Engineers	$144,040	$151,180	24,230
54	Petroleum Engineers	$143,590	$147,940	1,060
55	Data Scientists	$141,590	$156,000	39,310
56	Medical and Health Services Managers	$141,480	$159,170	75,090
57	Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers	$141,180	$137,670	1,910
58	Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance	$140,870	$138,420	830
59	Medical Dosimetrists	$140,380	$146,350	240
60	Registered Nurses	$140,270	$150,280	338,940
61	Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	$139,720	$150,800	1,460
62	Biochemists and Biophysicists	$139,580	$148,550	3,240
63	Physics Teachers, Postsecondary	$139,420	$166,780	1,130
64	Sales Engineers	$139,160	$146,590	6,310
65	Information Security Analysts	$138,570	$149,090	15,570
66	Art Directors	$137,780	$156,060	12,430
67	Genetic Counselors	$137,650	$143,090	440
68	Power Distributors and Dispatchers	$137,570	$144,010	670
69	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	$137,360	$160,800	770
70	Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary	$137,280	$159,690	2,720
71	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	$136,990	$140,120	29,830
72	Optometrists	$136,300	$147,420	6,890
73	Web and Digital Interface Designers	$136,110	$146,210	27,090
74	Statisticians	$135,960	$140,780	2,480
75	Fundraising Managers	$135,870	$157,470	5,430
76	Communications Teachers, Postsecondary	$135,000	$148,200	3,140
77	Sales Managers	$134,910	$160,260	112,440
78	Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$133,230	$150,060	1,410
79	Construction Managers	$133,160	$141,670	34,750
80	Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary	$132,960	$154,490	1,650
81	Industrial Production Managers	$132,620	$146,860	25,130
82	Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors	$131,540	$135,120	2,470
83	First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$131,210	$132,640	4,550
84	Mechanical Engineers	$130,900	$136,660	30,530
85	Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$130,680	$141,340	3,810
86	Special Effects Artists and Animators	$130,540	$134,360	7,410
87	Actuaries	$130,510	$145,330	1,280
88	English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$130,490	$134,950	5,460
89	Environmental Engineers	$130,410	$125,870	4,550
90	Personal Financial Advisors	$130,330	$170,070	32,200
91	Gas Plant Operators	$130,220	$120,680	800
92	Emergency Management Directors	$129,910	$138,120	1,170
93	Producers and Directors	$129,790	$155,750	34,110
94	Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$129,150	$146,810	3,610
95	Financial Risk Specialists	$129,110	$137,030	5,740
96	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$129,040	$125,270	8,930
97	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$128,740	$131,260	27,710
98	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$128,530	$126,610	10,110
99	Business Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,470	$140,670	5,290
100	Materials Engineers	$128,470	$131,090	3,020
101	Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,370	$132,310	630
102	Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$128,310	$132,400	2,750
103	Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$128,210	$137,170	2,480
104	Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary	$127,780	$125,840	1,950
105	School Psychologists	$127,780	$127,830	8,340
106	Computer Systems Analysts	$127,720	$130,480	59,060
107	Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary	$127,680	$138,470	810
108	First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	$127,630	$151,620	8,170
109	History Teachers, Postsecondary	$127,170	$134,280	1,450
110	Mathematicians	$126,710	$129,110	250
111	Sociologists	$125,770	$123,090	590
112	Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$125,640	$134,640	310
113	Education Administrators, Postsecondary	$125,460	$140,980	14,870
114	Dental Hygienists	$124,930	$128,110	24,500
115	Atmospheric and Space Scientists	$124,920	$127,330	510
116	Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$124,890	$136,290	1,060
117	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$124,840	$121,530	12,610
118	Industrial Engineers	$124,600	$125,850	32,680
119	Occupational Therapists	$124,510	$121,920	13,810
120	General and Operations Managers	$124,390	$152,250	300,840
121	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	$124,220	$129,250	27,590
122	Physical Therapists	$124,190	$122,580	26,580
123	Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$124,000	$120,560	3,570
124	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$123,780	$133,520	30,540
125	Astronomers	$123,540	$128,340	110
126	Civil Engineers	$122,500	$124,540	55,180
127	Hydrologists	$122,110	$122,940	540
128	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay	$121,520	$122,410	1,680
129	Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	$121,260	$117,950	20,900
130	Project Management Specialists	$120,910	$124,430	114,380
131	Insulation Workers, Mechanical	$119,690	$108,970	1,310
132	Web Developers	$119,570	$122,890	7,320
133	Law Teachers, Postsecondary	$119,540	$139,140	7,800
134	Economists	$119,410	$133,680	860
135	Speech-Language Pathologists	$118,970	$118,600	16,930
136	Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$118,880	$112,980	65,940
137	Facilities Managers	$118,620	$127,420	20,550
138	Boilermakers	$118,150	$115,900	720
139	Computer Programmers	$116,760	$119,900	11,340
140	Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners	$116,020	$108,890	1,400
141	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$116,000	$123,570	12,840
142	Audiologists	$114,910	$112,680	1,740
143	Geographers	$114,460	$114,310	80
144	Database Administrators	$113,060	$121,500	7,240
145	Education Teachers, Postsecondary	$111,850	$113,870	3,100
146	Epidemiologists	$110,760	$118,540	1,480
147	Marine Engineers and Naval Architects	$110,700	$118,380	250
148	Pile Driver Operators	$110,340	$109,410	480
149	Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels	$110,090	$129,580	2,420
150	Watch and Clock Repairers	$110,050	$104,770	N/A
151	Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$109,930	$111,810	400
152	Transit and Railroad Police	$109,650	$100,450	100
153	Urban and Regional Planners	$109,610	$116,480	7,460
154	Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers	$109,140	$122,560	1,650
155	Financial and Investment Analysts	$109,110	$125,070	45,380
156	Administrative Services Managers	$108,890	$134,780	41,240
157	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	$108,540	$121,910	13,270
158	Microbiologists	$108,530	$114,790	2,600
159	Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary	$108,290	$116,410	300
160	Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary	$107,340	$126,620	4,410
161	Foresters	$107,120	$110,770	820
162	Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film	$106,900	$106,350	4,700
163	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	$106,510	$112,360	12,490
164	Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	$106,500	$108,910	3,350
165	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$106,440	$115,210	26,170
166	Financial Examiners	$106,000	$118,710	4,200
167	Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary	$105,820	$125,540	1,850
168	Labor Relations Specialists	$105,810	$112,210	8,830
169	Surveyors	$105,330	$110,220	4,520
170	Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary	$105,220	$122,400	770
171	Power Plant Operators	$105,210	$110,960	2,610
172	Set and Exhibit Designers	$105,030	$105,350	2,690
173	Respiratory Therapists	$104,820	$109,440	18,650
174	Technical Writers	$104,000	$117,060	5,280
175	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$103,640	$105,440	13,900
176	Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary	$103,520	$113,170	530
177	Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	$103,250	$104,560	3,360
178	Occupational Health and Safety Specialists	$102,840	$106,470	16,230
179	Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	$102,780	$103,690	1,450
180	Forensic Science Technicians	$102,100	$104,960	2,800
181	Operations Research Analysts	$102,100	$110,860	10,620
182	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors	$102,030	$97,890	1,660
183	Commercial Divers	$101,540	$98,740	310
184	Special Education Teachers, Middle School	$101,530	$99,830	4,860
185	Management Analysts	$101,460	$115,720	137,280
186	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$101,370	$105,880	99,230
187	Construction and Building Inspectors	$101,290	$103,850	13,420
188	Postmasters and Mail Superintendents	$101,150	$103,040	800
189	Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	$101,060	$102,780	12,100
190	Commercial and Industrial Designers	$100,770	$108,400	5,300
191	Craft Artists	$100,540	$110,420	170
192	Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door	$100,260	$100,960	4,310
193	Fish and Game Wardens	$100,090	$96,130	330

California High-Salary Insights

The $100K+ jobs in California are concentrated in Healthcare Practitioners, Management, and Transportation fields.

26.6% of all tracked occupations in CA earn a median salary above $100K. The entry point for this group is $100,090/year (Fish and Game Wardens), while the top earner makes $400,150/year.

California ranks #1 among all 50 states for the number of $100K+ jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many jobs pay over $100K a year in California?

According to 2025 BLS data, there are 193 occupations in California with a median annual salary above $100K. This represents 26.6% of all tracked occupations in CA.

What is the highest paying job in California?

The highest paying occupation in California is Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric with a median salary of $400,150 per year based on 2025 BLS OEWS data.

What is the minimum salary to be on the $100K+ list in California?

The entry point for the $100K+ list in California is $100,090/year (Fish and Game Wardens). Any occupation with a median salary above $100K qualifies for this list.

What is the average salary of $100K+ jobs in California?

The average median salary among all 193 occupations that pay over $100K in California is $142,944 per year (2025 data).

How can I get a job that pays over $100K in California?

High-paying jobs in California typically require specialized education, certifications, or significant experience. Common fields include healthcare, technology, management, and engineering. Investing in relevant skills through certifications and advanced degrees can help you reach the $100K+ salary range. Check individual job pages for specific requirements.

Aiming for a $100K+ Career in California?

Build My Resume → · Find Remote & Flexible Jobs → · Get Certified & Earn More →

Jobs Over $100K in Other States

These are gross salaries. After federal, state, and FICA taxes, take-home pay is lower.

More Salary Data for California

All California Jobs

Data Source & Methodology

This list includes all occupations with BLS-published state-level median salary data above $100K per year. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. See our Methodology page for details.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics