California Salary Data — 2026
Average salaries in California across 86+ roles and 5 metros. Compare compensation by role, city, and experience level.
Cities in California with Salary Data
Top-Paying Roles in California
Based on mid-level median salaries in Los Angeles, the largest metro in California.
| Role | Mid-Level Median | Senior Max | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician | $316,000 | $517K | Healthcare |
| Staff Engineer | $288,000 | $437K | Engineering |
| Investment Banker | $253,000 | $575K | Finance |
| Engineering Manager | $241,000 | $368K | Engineering |
| ML Research Engineer | $236,000 | $402K | Data & AI |
| Senior Product Manager | $224,000 | $334K | Product |
| Senior Software Engineer | $216,000 | $328K | Engineering |
| Dentist | $213,000 | $334K | Healthcare |
| AI/ML Engineer | $190,000 | $322K | Data & AI |
| Technical Product Manager | $184,000 | $282K | Product |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $178,000 | $288K | Engineering |
| Cloud Architect | $178,000 | $288K | Engineering |
Other States
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