High paying medical jobs in Modesto, CA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Modesto, CA. 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 Modesto, CA run 4.1% above the national average (2024), so a Modesto, CA salary is worth about 0.96× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

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

Find medical jobs in Modesto, CA

OccupationMedian, Modesto, CA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$323,580
Doctoral or professional degree
$81,360 – $465,480310
2Family Medicine Physicians$260,020
Doctoral or professional degree
$117,860 – $435,120100
3Nurse Practitioners$173,380
Master's degree
$138,470 – $249,600380
4Dentists, General$167,050
Doctoral or professional degree
$95,950 – $280,730160
5Physician Assistants$165,730
Master's degree
$92,540 – $224,310210
6Veterinarians$162,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,000 – $258,400120
7Pharmacists$160,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$130,320 – $211,820380
8Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$141,210
Associate's degree
$80,400 – $177,780200
9Optometrists$137,480
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,610 – $208,17090
10Registered Nurses$132,590
Bachelor's degree
$102,770 – $197,8004,850
11Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$129,030
Associate's degree
$78,660 – $172,850370
12Physical Therapists$126,600
Doctoral or professional degree
$87,730 – $163,360400
13Dental Hygienists$123,910
Associate's degree
$103,450 – $133,640390
14Occupational Therapists$121,110
Master's degree
$83,410 – $158,690170
15Speech-Language Pathologists$116,770
Master's degree
$89,370 – $168,470220
16Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$105,400
Associate's degree
$62,460 – $173,17080
17Respiratory Therapists$103,870
Associate's degree
$83,010 – $134,280270
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$97,830
Bachelor's degree
$77,260 – $122,620100
19Surgical Technologists$79,950
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,230 – $102,990120
20Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$78,200
Postsecondary nondegree award
$61,940 – $102,8301,120
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$76,110
Bachelor's degree
$45,870 – $95,420360
22Paramedics$72,170
Postsecondary nondegree award
$61,310 – $97,710130
23Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$59,360
Associate's degree
$46,830 – $74,010140
24Opticians, Dispensing$59,010
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,580 – $79,090120
25Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$58,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,110 – $82,110410
26Pharmacy Technicians$50,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,080 – $68,830480
27Psychiatric Technicians$48,390
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,590 – $78,460160
28Medical Records Specialists$48,240
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,890 – $79,490210
29Dietetic Technicians$48,130
Associate's degree
$36,690 – $61,950100
30Emergency Medical Technicians$47,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,920 – $77,130440

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

#	Occupation	MedianModesto, CA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$323,580	$81,360 – $465,480	310
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$260,020	$117,860 – $435,120	100
3	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$173,380	$138,470 – $249,600	380
4	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$167,050	$95,950 – $280,730	160
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$165,730	$92,540 – $224,310	210
6	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$162,160	$74,000 – $258,400	120
7	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$160,520	$130,320 – $211,820	380
8	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$141,210	$80,400 – $177,780	200
9	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$137,480	$105,610 – $208,170	90
10	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$132,590	$102,770 – $197,800	4,850
11	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$129,030	$78,660 – $172,850	370
12	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$126,600	$87,730 – $163,360	400
13	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$123,910	$103,450 – $133,640	390
14	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$121,110	$83,410 – $158,690	170
15	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$116,770	$89,370 – $168,470	220
16	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$105,400	$62,460 – $173,170	80
17	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$103,870	$83,010 – $134,280	270
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$97,830	$77,260 – $122,620	100
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$79,950	$50,230 – $102,990	120
20	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$78,200	$61,940 – $102,830	1,120
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$76,110	$45,870 – $95,420	360
22	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$72,170	$61,310 – $97,710	130
23	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$59,360	$46,830 – $74,010	140
24	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,010	$37,580 – $79,090	120
25	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$58,650	$44,110 – $82,110	410
26	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,540	$40,080 – $68,830	480
27	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,390	$36,590 – $78,460	160
28	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,240	$39,890 – $79,490	210
29	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$48,130	$36,690 – $61,950	100
30	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,160	$38,920 – $77,130	440

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Modesto, CA. 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.

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

High paying medical jobs in Modesto, CA

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