High paying science jobs in California

Every science 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 science 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 science jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Physicists$207,490
Doctoral or professional degree
$125,390 – $296,7405,930
2Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$136,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$81,320 – $180,06029,830
3School Psychologists$127,780
Master's degree
$97,200 – $160,1708,340
4Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$116,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,900 – $188,05012,840
5Biological Scientists, All Other$113,530
Bachelor's degree
$69,770 – $189,71011,880
6Urban and Regional Planners$109,610
Master's degree
$77,430 – $166,9507,460
7Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$106,510
Bachelor's degree
$65,350 – $161,91012,490
8Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$102,840
Bachelor's degree
$59,760 – $161,30016,230
9Chemists$97,860
Bachelor's degree
$60,930 – $164,1509,820
10Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$78,350
Associate's degree
$47,640 – $107,47010,090
11Biological Technicians$71,440
Bachelor's degree
$46,700 – $121,6709,210
12Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$61,220
Associate's degree
$37,670 – $106,8406,010
13Chemical Technicians$59,510
Associate's degree
$44,070 – $88,9006,800
14Forest and Conservation Technicians$58,120
Associate's degree
$43,680 – $91,4806,640

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	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$207,490	$125,390 – $296,740	5,930
2	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,990	$81,320 – $180,060	29,830
3	School PsychologistsMaster's degree	$127,780	$97,200 – $160,170	8,340
4	Clinical and Counseling PsychologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$116,000	$62,900 – $188,050	12,840
5	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$113,530	$69,770 – $189,710	11,880
6	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$109,610	$77,430 – $166,950	7,460
7	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$106,510	$65,350 – $161,910	12,490
8	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$102,840	$59,760 – $161,300	16,230
9	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$97,860	$60,930 – $164,150	9,820
10	Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherAssociate's degree	$78,350	$47,640 – $107,470	10,090
11	Biological TechniciansBachelor's degree	$71,440	$46,700 – $121,670	9,210
12	Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthAssociate's degree	$61,220	$37,670 – $106,840	6,010
13	Chemical TechniciansAssociate's degree	$59,510	$44,070 – $88,900	6,800
14	Forest and Conservation TechniciansAssociate's degree	$58,120	$43,680 – $91,480	6,640

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 science jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying science jobs in each state