High paying management jobs in California

Every management occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in California. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single management job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in California run 10.7% above the national average (2024), so a California salary is worth about 0.90× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in California.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find management jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Chief Executives$218,600
Bachelor's degree
$85,790 – $486,83034,700
2Computer and Information Systems Managers$218,290
Bachelor's degree
$129,970 – $325,97094,720
3Architectural and Engineering Managers$210,280
Bachelor's degree
$137,900 – $296,13029,630
4Natural Sciences Managers$210,230
Bachelor's degree
$130,730 – $330,05014,950
5Marketing Managers$193,620
Bachelor's degree
$104,370 – $326,40054,660
6Financial Managers$180,770
Bachelor's degree
$101,820 – $341,67093,310
7Managers, All Other$174,560
Bachelor's degree
$98,280 – $303,68099,580
8Human Resources Managers$170,080
Bachelor's degree
$96,430 – $307,60027,450
9Public Relations Managers$167,980
Bachelor's degree
$97,800 – $300,8009,400
10Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$159,950
Master's degree
$103,250 – $202,38031,370
11Purchasing Managers$159,830
Bachelor's degree
$99,560 – $241,3407,470
12Training and Development Managers$156,260
Bachelor's degree
$96,900 – $274,9606,680
13Medical and Health Services Managers$141,480
Bachelor's degree
$72,800 – $274,66075,090
14Sales Managers$134,910
Bachelor's degree
$64,430 – $300,580112,440
15Construction Managers$133,160
Bachelor's degree
$82,100 – $211,97034,750
16Industrial Production Managers$132,620
Bachelor's degree
$80,950 – $222,02025,130
17Education Administrators, Postsecondary$125,460
Master's degree
$76,700 – $216,48014,870
18General and Operations Managers$124,390
Bachelor's degree
$60,370 – $293,810300,840
19Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$123,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$71,260 – $208,42030,540
20Facilities Managers$118,620
Bachelor's degree
$70,690 – $203,40020,550
21Administrative Services Managers$108,890
Bachelor's degree
$75,030 – $215,36041,240
22Education Administrators, All Other$99,650
Bachelor's degree
$61,970 – $179,97011,480
23Social and Community Service Managers$83,210
Bachelor's degree
$56,510 – $149,28033,510
24Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling$79,550
Bachelor's degree
$47,370 – $165,8707,000
25Food Service Managers$78,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,690 – $127,34033,180
26Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers$77,030
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,540 – $158,05050,040
27Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare$67,100
Bachelor's degree
$47,590 – $100,8009,810

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCalifornia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$218,600	$85,790 – $486,830	34,700
2	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$218,290	$129,970 – $325,970	94,720
3	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$210,280	$137,900 – $296,130	29,630
4	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$210,230	$130,730 – $330,050	14,950
5	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$193,620	$104,370 – $326,400	54,660
6	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$180,770	$101,820 – $341,670	93,310
7	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$174,560	$98,280 – $303,680	99,580
8	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$170,080	$96,430 – $307,600	27,450
9	Public Relations ManagersBachelor's degree	$167,980	$97,800 – $300,800	9,400
10	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$159,950	$103,250 – $202,380	31,370
11	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$159,830	$99,560 – $241,340	7,470
12	Training and Development ManagersBachelor's degree	$156,260	$96,900 – $274,960	6,680
13	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$141,480	$72,800 – $274,660	75,090
14	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$134,910	$64,430 – $300,580	112,440
15	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$133,160	$82,100 – $211,970	34,750
16	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$132,620	$80,950 – $222,020	25,130
17	Education Administrators, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$125,460	$76,700 – $216,480	14,870
18	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,390	$60,370 – $293,810	300,840
19	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$123,780	$71,260 – $208,420	30,540
20	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$118,620	$70,690 – $203,400	20,550
21	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$108,890	$75,030 – $215,360	41,240
22	Education Administrators, All OtherBachelor's degree	$99,650	$61,970 – $179,970	11,480
23	Social and Community Service ManagersBachelor's degree	$83,210	$56,510 – $149,280	33,510
24	Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except GamblingBachelor's degree	$79,550	$47,370 – $165,870	7,000
25	Food Service ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,260	$47,690 – $127,340	33,180
26	Property, Real Estate, and Community Association ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,030	$41,540 – $158,050	50,040
27	Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and DaycareBachelor's degree	$67,100	$47,590 – $100,800	9,810

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in California. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for California

Metro areas in California

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in California

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in California to rank honestly.

High paying management jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying management jobs in each state