High paying medical jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run 10.4% above the national average (2024), so a San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA salary is worth about 0.91× 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

OccupationMedian, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Employed

1Family Medicine Physicians$351,760
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,390 – $372,9501,120
2Nurse Practitioners$231,560
Master's degree
$163,670 – $283,4101,580
3Physician Assistants$223,640
Master's degree
$100,240 – $287,4201,030
4Registered Nurses$216,740
Bachelor's degree
$124,140 – $235,19022,930
5Dentists, General$207,910
Doctoral or professional degree
$124,470 – $294,2901,130
6Pharmacists$199,040
Doctoral or professional degree
$151,900 – $234,0801,960
7Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$173,150
Associate's degree
$100,130 – $213,010500
8Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$154,850
Associate's degree
$98,910 – $185,3401,000
9Respiratory Therapists$149,680
Associate's degree
$98,000 – $178,5801,060
10Dental Hygienists$139,990
Associate's degree
$128,620 – $156,8501,620
11Physical Therapists$139,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$104,000 – $171,5601,460
12Occupational Therapists$136,870
Master's degree
$97,450 – $169,990840
13Optometrists$135,330
Doctoral or professional degree
$134,370 – $207,720580
14Speech-Language Pathologists$132,720
Master's degree
$72,080 – $170,500890
15Dietitians and Nutritionists$122,910
Bachelor's degree
$89,910 – $155,340610
16Surgical Technologists$106,840
Postsecondary nondegree award
$77,640 – $133,480700
17Physicians, All Other$98,870
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,000 – $455,1802,530
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$95,320
Postsecondary nondegree award
$77,320 – $113,2203,290
19Medical Records Specialists$86,890
Postsecondary nondegree award
$55,430 – $151,520920
20Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$84,870
Bachelor's degree
$66,830 – $149,6301,870
21Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$81,170
Postsecondary nondegree award
$58,610 – $166,8401,330
22Pharmacy Technicians$75,490
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,770 – $99,4701,780
23Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$67,280
Associate's degree
$52,720 – $78,430470
24Opticians, Dispensing$60,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,750 – $83,570390
25Emergency Medical Technicians$54,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,430 – $94,100830
26Dietetic Technicians$50,690
Associate's degree
$40,350 – $82,050360

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

#	Occupation	MedianSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$351,760	$83,390 – $372,950	1,120
2	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$231,560	$163,670 – $283,410	1,580
3	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$223,640	$100,240 – $287,420	1,030
4	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$216,740	$124,140 – $235,190	22,930
5	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$207,910	$124,470 – $294,290	1,130
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$199,040	$151,900 – $234,080	1,960
7	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$173,150	$100,130 – $213,010	500
8	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$154,850	$98,910 – $185,340	1,000
9	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$149,680	$98,000 – $178,580	1,060
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$139,990	$128,620 – $156,850	1,620
11	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$139,000	$104,000 – $171,560	1,460
12	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$136,870	$97,450 – $169,990	840
13	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$135,330	$134,370 – $207,720	580
14	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$132,720	$72,080 – $170,500	890
15	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$122,910	$89,910 – $155,340	610
16	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$106,840	$77,640 – $133,480	700
17	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$98,870	$83,000 – $455,180	2,530
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$95,320	$77,320 – $113,220	3,290
19	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$86,890	$55,430 – $151,520	920
20	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$84,870	$66,830 – $149,630	1,870
21	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$81,170	$58,610 – $166,840	1,330
22	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$75,490	$47,770 – $99,470	1,780
23	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$67,280	$52,720 – $78,430	470
24	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,480	$50,750 – $83,570	390
25	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$54,650	$46,430 – $94,100	830
26	Dietetic TechniciansAssociate's degree	$50,690	$40,350 – $82,050	360

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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.

More for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

By field in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

More for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Other metro areas in CA

By field in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state