PaycheckForge salary cohort · updated 2026-09-02

California Career Salaries

See which occupations are most common, most concentrated and highest paid within the 23 occupations currently tracked by PaycheckForge. These are not rankings of every job in California.

Most common in our coverage

Ranked by BLS estimated employment in California, among the 23 occupations in this release.

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides970,150 jobs
  2. Retail Salespersons376,460 jobs
  3. Registered Nurses338,940 jobs
  4. Cashiers336,110 jobs
  5. Stockers and Order Fillers310,870 jobs
  6. General and Operations Managers300,840 jobs
  7. Software Developers284,390 jobs
  8. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners234,240 jobs

Most distinctive in our coverage

Ranked by BLS location quotient. Above 1.00 means the occupation is more concentrated than the U.S. average.

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides1.92 LQ
  2. Dietetic Technicians1.71 LQ
  3. Software Developers1.44 LQ
  4. Carpenters1.28 LQ
  5. Medical Assistants1.22 LQ
  6. Accountants and Auditors1.03 LQ
  7. Elementary School Teachers0.95 LQ
  8. Dental Hygienists0.94 LQ

Highest median wages in our coverage

OccupationBLS annual medianDetail
Software Developers $174,410 Wage & take-home
Registered Nurses $140,270 Wage & take-home
Dental Hygienists $124,930 Benchmark only
General and Operations Managers $124,390 Benchmark only
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $118,880 Benchmark only

Detailed California salary guides