High paying medical jobs in California

Every medical 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 medical 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 medical jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1General Internal Medicine Physicians$313,890
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,180 – $441,7106,370
2Physicians, All Other$281,590
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,590 – $431,98025,530
3Pediatricians, General$214,140
Doctoral or professional degree
$102,600 – $372,4606,680
4Nurse Practitioners$168,520
Master's degree
$120,340 – $240,83025,120
5Dentists, General$165,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,510 – $272,73016,770
6Physician Assistants$165,650
Master's degree
$99,380 – $225,19013,600
7Pharmacists$164,610
Doctoral or professional degree
$90,560 – $213,82034,030
8Veterinarians$163,920
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,850 – $286,3309,170
9Registered Nurses$140,270
Bachelor's degree
$101,260 – $213,320338,940
10Optometrists$136,300
Doctoral or professional degree
$99,890 – $213,7106,890
11Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$128,530
Associate's degree
$62,890 – $177,78010,110
12Dental Hygienists$124,930
Associate's degree
$102,090 – $151,92024,500
13Occupational Therapists$124,510
Master's degree
$85,550 – $158,56013,810
14Physical Therapists$124,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$85,580 – $163,96026,580
15Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$121,260
Associate's degree
$70,210 – $165,46020,900
16Speech-Language Pathologists$118,970
Master's degree
$79,750 – $160,90016,930
17Respiratory Therapists$104,820
Associate's degree
$77,010 – $145,51018,650
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$98,850
Bachelor's degree
$72,780 – $130,8508,720
19Surgical Technologists$81,310
Postsecondary nondegree award
$49,140 – $115,74011,920
20Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$79,750
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,390 – $100,45082,850
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$76,010
Bachelor's degree
$47,580 – $126,87029,210
22Medical Records Specialists$61,810
Postsecondary nondegree award
$43,800 – $102,47018,700
23Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$60,630
Associate's degree
$48,240 – $75,86011,310
24Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$60,390
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,470 – $119,99026,540
25Opticians, Dispensing$57,990
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,390 – $81,6807,840
26Pharmacy Technicians$55,110
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,850 – $81,19039,860
27Psychiatric Technicians$49,140
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,880 – $88,09014,100
28Dietetic Technicians$46,410
Associate's degree
$36,810 – $64,0206,310
29Emergency Medical Technicians$46,380
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,740 – $78,15021,880

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	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$313,890	$74,180 – $441,710	6,370
2	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$281,590	$80,590 – $431,980	25,530
3	Pediatricians, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$214,140	$102,600 – $372,460	6,680
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$168,520	$120,340 – $240,830	25,120
5	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$165,950	$74,510 – $272,730	16,770
6	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$165,650	$99,380 – $225,190	13,600
7	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$164,610	$90,560 – $213,820	34,030
8	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$163,920	$74,850 – $286,330	9,170
9	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$140,270	$101,260 – $213,320	338,940
10	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,300	$99,890 – $213,710	6,890
11	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$128,530	$62,890 – $177,780	10,110
12	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$124,930	$102,090 – $151,920	24,500
13	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$124,510	$85,550 – $158,560	13,810
14	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$124,190	$85,580 – $163,960	26,580
15	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$121,260	$70,210 – $165,460	20,900
16	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$118,970	$79,750 – $160,900	16,930
17	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$104,820	$77,010 – $145,510	18,650
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$98,850	$72,780 – $130,850	8,720
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$81,310	$49,140 – $115,740	11,920
20	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$79,750	$64,390 – $100,450	82,850
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$76,010	$47,580 – $126,870	29,210
22	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,810	$43,800 – $102,470	18,700
23	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$60,630	$48,240 – $75,860	11,310
24	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,390	$47,470 – $119,990	26,540
25	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,990	$42,390 – $81,680	7,840
26	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,110	$42,850 – $81,190	39,860
27	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,140	$40,880 – $88,090	14,100
28	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$46,410	$36,810 – $64,020	6,310
29	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,380	$38,740 – $78,150	21,880

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 medical jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state