Data vintage · May 2025 · Ranked by median annual wage
Lowest-paying jobs in California
793 occupations with published wages, ranked
The lowest published median wage in California belongs to Home Health and Personal Care Aides, at $34,320 per year. The highest is $400,150.
The 10 lowest-paying occupations
| # | Occupation | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 | 970,150 | |
| 2 | Motorboat Operators | $34,570 | 190 | |
| 3 | Gambling Dealers | $35,090 | 15,050 | |
| 4 | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,580 | 172,260 | |
| 5 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $36,010 | 75,460 | |
| 6 | Waiters and Waitresses | $36,080 | 229,970 | |
| 7 | Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $36,150 | 1,420 | |
| 8 | Bartenders | $36,220 | 71,470 | |
| 9 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | $36,330 | 5,750 | |
| 10 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $36,570 | 9,270 |
At the other end of the scale
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $400,150 | 820 |
| Neurologists | $357,080 | 1,090 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $353,900 | 10,670 |
| Psychiatrists | $353,500 | 5,420 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313,890 | 6,370 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $301,240 | 1,610 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $292,410 | 2,230 |
| Physicians, All Other | $281,590 | 25,530 |
| Radiologists | $270,560 | 690 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $253,430 | — |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $252,010 | — |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $230,730 | 340 |
| Chief Executives | $218,600 | 34,700 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $218,290 | 94,720 |
| Pediatricians, General | $214,140 | 6,680 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $210,280 | 29,630 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $210,230 | 14,950 |
| Physicists | $207,490 | 5,930 |
| Nurse Midwives | $203,840 | 870 |
| Podiatrists | $201,300 | 1,000 |
| Lawyers | $195,080 | 95,770 |
| Marketing Managers | $193,620 | 54,660 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $186,300 | 1,790 |
| Cardiologists | $185,610 | 630 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $185,180 | 19,820 |
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Rankings cover only occupations for which a median wage was published; occupations the survey suppressed do not appear. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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