SOC 29-1242 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric — California
California · 3 metro areas compared
Median pay in California is $253,430 a year, 29.3% under the national median of $358,550 for this occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
- Openings per year
- 400
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for California.
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
Median pay in California is $253,430 a year, 29.3% under the national median of $358,550 for this occupation. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $103,450 and $363,050. The lowest tenth earn under $80,660, while the highest tenth earn more than $457,010.
California ranks number 28th out of 38 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Sacramento records the highest median at $312,610. Of the 793 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 10th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $80,660 | −77.5% |
| 25th | $103,450 | −71.1% |
| Median (50th) | $253,430 | −29.3% |
| 75th | $363,050 | +1.3% |
| 90th | $457,010 | +27.5% |
| Mean | $258,550 | −27.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | $312,610 | — | |
| 2 | San Diego | $204,290 | 230 | |
| 3 | Los Angeles | $203,890 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in California run 10.7% above the national average, so the median of $253,430 buys what $228,934 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 36.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$253,430as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$228,934US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $253,430 a year, 29.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $80,660 to $457,010 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 28th of 38 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Sacramento, at $312,610.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric in California?
The median annual wage is $253,430, or $121.84 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 $358,550, so pay in California is 29.3% lower. 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 California earns more than $457,010 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $80,660 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 Sacramento, at $312,610 per year.
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.
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