SalaryExplorer

SOC 53-3031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Driver/Sales Workers — Chico

Chico, CA · 10 metro areas compared

$42,360 /year
$20.37per hour
190jobs in area
+9.3%vs US median

The median wage for Driver/Sales Workers in Chico, CA is $42,360 per year, 9.3% above the national median of $38,770.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $38,77010TH$37,020MEDIAN$42,36075TH$50,63090TH$57,570

How pay has moved

$49,618$22,2732019202020212022202320242025$42,360
$26,830 in 2019 to $42,360 in 2025, +57.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+8.8%
Openings per year
51,300
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

6.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Chico, CA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Driver/Sales Workers in Chico, CA is $42,360 per year, 9.3% above the national median of $38,770. Pay ranges from under $37,020 at the tenth percentile to more than $57,570 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $37,810 to $50,630.

Employment stands at 190, or 2.4 jobs per thousand held locally. San Jose leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $51,260. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 226th of 286 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Chico, CA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$37,020−4.5%
25th$37,810−2.5%
Median (50th)$42,360+9.3%
75th$50,630+30.6%
90th$57,570+48.5%
Mean$45,630+17.7%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in California

Median annual wage for Driver/Sales Workers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1San Jose$51,2601,360
2Merced$49,290330
3Yuba City$49,110110
4Santa Rosa$49,000400
5Sacramento$48,8601,560
6Visalia$48,000380
7Vallejo$47,780390
8Fresno$47,1701,090
9San Diego$46,8002,150
10El Centro$46,510160

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Chico sit close to the national average, so $42,360 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$42,360as reported by BLS

Local price level

101.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$41,858US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $42,360 a year, 9.3% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $37,020 to $57,570 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 190 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $51,260.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Driver/Sales Workers in Chico, CA?

The median annual wage is $42,360, or $20.37 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $38,770, so pay in Chico, CA is 9.3% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Chico, CA earns more than $57,570 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $37,020 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Jose, at $51,260 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 190 jobs in this occupation in Chico, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. 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.

Driver/Sales Workers Salary in Chico, CA (2025): $42,360 Median | Salary Explorer