Occupations With the Highest Reported Median Wages in California

921 occupations have a published Bureau of Labor Statistics median wage in California for 2025. Rows are ordered by reported annual median wage.

Occupations

Occupation	Median annual wage	Employment	Salary page
Fast Food and Counter Workers	$42,280	449,840	View salary detail
Baristas	$42,280	449,840	View salary detail
Pharmacy Aides	$42,200	8,440	View salary detail
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders	$42,100	310	View salary detail
Cooks, Fast Food	$42,050	124,440	View salary detail
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants	$41,770	10,190	View salary detail
Production Workers, All Other	$41,670	28,090	View salary detail
Food Batchmakers	$41,670	12,560	View salary detail
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers	$41,600	—	View salary detail
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers	$41,430	—	View salary detail
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	$41,090	234,240	View salary detail
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders	$40,440	580	View salary detail
Machine Feeders and Offbearers	$40,380	4,830	View salary detail
Baggage Porters and Bellhops	$40,040	2,940	View salary detail
Nannies	$40,020	52,780	View salary detail
Childcare Workers	$40,020	52,780	View salary detail
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other	$39,860	4,770	View salary detail
Recreation Workers	$39,780	48,560	View salary detail
Tire Repairers and Changers	$39,680	11,620	View salary detail
Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers	$39,520	560	View salary detail
Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other	$39,490	590	View salary detail
Slaughterers and Meat Packers	$39,420	6,170	View salary detail
Gambling Service Workers, All Other	$39,410	1,650	View salary detail
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	$39,360	27,810	View salary detail
Food Preparation Workers	$39,350	112,750	View salary detail
Retail Loss Prevention Specialists	$39,330	26,360	View salary detail
Protective Service Workers, All Other	$39,330	26,360	View salary detail
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	$39,300	3,850	View salary detail
Taxi Drivers	$39,260	3,880	View salary detail
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	$39,010	32,430	View salary detail
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$38,870	750	View salary detail
Agricultural Equipment Operators	$38,820	7,940	View salary detail
Skincare Specialists	$38,770	11,360	View salary detail
Animal Caretakers	$38,700	25,710	View salary detail
Funeral Attendants	$38,700	1,790	View salary detail
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	$38,660	27,080	View salary detail
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals	$38,640	3,600	View salary detail
Retail Salespersons	$38,440	376,460	View salary detail
Material Moving Workers, All Other	$38,410	9,120	View salary detail
Barbers	$38,380	1,390	View salary detail
School Bus Monitors	$38,360	1,260	View salary detail
Physical Therapist Aides	$38,330	7,330	View salary detail
Food Processing Workers, All Other	$38,230	7,140	View salary detail
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers	$38,130	510	View salary detail
Parking Attendants	$38,060	21,290	View salary detail
Sewing Machine Operators	$37,940	13,240	View salary detail
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	$37,920	46,030	View salary detail
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers	$37,870	16,460	View salary detail
Dishwashers	$37,870	74,160	View salary detail
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand	$37,840	770	View salary detail

Metropolitan areas in this state

Career and skills data: O*NET (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.