Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are one of the highest-paying jobs in California, where they earn $227,870 a year.
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Surgeons have the highest average annual salary in California.
Using wage data from BLS, we found the occupations with the highest average salaries in the state.
The following are the 30 highest-paying jobs in the Golden State.
30. Computer hardware engineers
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Average annual salary: $169,970
Number of people employed in California: 19,910
29. Physicists
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Average annual salary: $173,440
Number of people employed in California: 5,160
28. Marketing managers
kate_sept2004/Getty Images
Average annual salary: $175,150
Number of people employed in California: 47,350
27. AstronomersGriffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
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Average annual salary: $175,820
Number of people employed in California: N/A
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of astronomers in California.
26. Lawyers
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Average annual salary: $176,610
Number of people employed in California: 90,120
25. Animal scientists
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Average annual salary: $177,430
Number of people employed in California: N/A
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of animal scientists in California.
24. Dentists, all other specialistsA dentist performs a dental examination.
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Average annual salary: $181,590
Number of people employed in California: N/A
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of all other dentist specialists in California.
23. Architectural and engineering managers
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Average annual salary: $187,770
Number of people employed in California: 34,550
22. Natural sciences managers
Damian Dovarganes/AP
Average annual salary: $192,750
Number of people employed in California: 11,260
21. Computer and information systems managers
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Average annual salary: $193,500
Number of people employed in California: 92,880
20. Pediatricians
Rogelio V. Solis/AP Images
Average annual salary: $198,000
Number of people employed in California: 4,300
19. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
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Average annual salary: $206,790
Number of people employed in California: 1,510
17 (tie). Orthopedic surgeons (except pediatric)
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Average annual salary: At least $208,000*
Number of people employed in California: 1,610
*BLS does not have an exact wage estimate for this occupation in California for May 2021.
17 (tie). Emergency medicine physicians
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Average annual salary: At least $208,000*
Number of people employed in California: N/A
*BLS does not have an exact wage estimate for this occupation in California for May 2021.
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of emergency medicine physicians in California.
16. Neurologists
Tashi-Delek/Getty Images
Average annual salary: $223,400
Number of people employed in California: 280
15. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersAirline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are one of the highest-paying jobs in California, where they earn $227,870 a year.
9. Family medicine physiciansDoctors performing on a patient.
David McNew/Getty Images
Average annual salary: $261,260
Number of people employed in California: 14,230
8. Dermatologists
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Average annual salary: $280,100
Number of people employed in California: N/A
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of dermatologists in California.
7. Psychiatrists
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Average annual salary: $305,290
Number of people employed in California: 4,410
6. Obstetricians and gynecologists
Orlin Wagner/AP Images
Average annual salary: $309,610
Number of people employed in California: 2,220
5. Anesthesiologists
ChaNaWiT/Shutterstock
Average annual salary: $318,030
Number of people employed in California: 2,560
4. Cardiologists
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Average annual salary: $343,370
Number of people employed in California: 3,340
3. Radiologists
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images
Average annual salary: $345,100
Number of people employed in California: N/A
BLS didn't provide estimates of the number of radiologists in California.
2. Pathologists
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Average annual salary: $350,980
Number of people employed in California: 1,570
1. Surgeons, all other
HRAUN/Getty Images
Average annual salary: $351,580
Number of people employed in California: 2,480
Method and data source
California is one of the largest economies in the world, with a gross domestic product bigger than that of most countries.
Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, we found the 30 jobs with the highest average annual salaries in California. To do this, we looked at the just over 800 detailed occupations that had average annual wage data available for the state in May 2021, the most recently available data.
