Salaries in California.
5 metro areas. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 1.24x national average. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$465,000
SVP of Product
Median Role
$431,000
VP of Risk
Entry Level
$421,000
VP of Cloud
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated August 2026.
California has 5 major metro areas tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 1.24x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is SVP of Product at $465,000 in San Jose. The median role pays $431,000.
Metro areas in California
Top 30 salaries in California
Tax considerations in California
California's top marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep.
California's 13.3% top state income tax rate applies to LA earners as well. There is no city income tax, but the high state rate makes take home pay lower than cities in no income tax states.
California's top 13.3% state tax applies here. While San Diego has no city income tax, the state burden means you should negotiate gross pay higher than you might expect for the cost of living.
California's top 13.3% state rate applies fully here. While gross salaries in San Jose are among the nation's highest, the tax burden means net pay may not stretch as far as expected.
California's 13.3% top state rate applies. Sacramento has no city income tax. Despite the high state rate, the significantly lower housing costs compared to the Bay Area improve take home purchasing power.
Other states
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