High paying tech and IT jobs in California

Every tech and IT 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 tech and IT 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 tech jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Computer and Information Systems Managers$218,290
Bachelor's degree
$129,970 – $325,97094,720
2Computer Hardware Engineers$185,180
Bachelor's degree
$126,590 – $281,21019,820
3Software Developers$174,410
Bachelor's degree
$105,060 – $272,670284,390
4Database Architects$170,160
Bachelor's degree
$101,200 – $227,9006,210
5Computer and Information Research Scientists$159,100
Master's degree
$88,920 – $275,3208,440
6Computer Network Architects$158,870
Bachelor's degree
$97,070 – $224,93014,870
7Data Scientists$141,590
Bachelor's degree
$77,480 – $224,92039,310
8Information Security Analysts$138,570
Bachelor's degree
$66,070 – $221,00015,570
9Web and Digital Interface Designers$136,110
Bachelor's degree
$68,090 – $219,75027,090
10Computer Occupations, All Other$134,440
Bachelor's degree
$58,340 – $222,69080,150
11Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$128,740
Bachelor's degree
$65,890 – $201,07027,710
12Computer Systems Analysts$127,720
Bachelor's degree
$79,110 – $181,77059,060
13Web Developers$119,570
Bachelor's degree
$44,990 – $202,8507,320
14Computer Programmers$116,760
Bachelor's degree
$70,310 – $172,30011,340
15Database Administrators$113,060
Bachelor's degree
$62,410 – $178,3107,240
16Network and Computer Systems Administrators$106,440
Bachelor's degree
$72,400 – $166,73026,170
17Operations Research Analysts$102,100
Bachelor's degree
$65,510 – $168,03010,620
18Computer User Support Specialists$79,570
Some college, no degree
$52,270 – $122,75074,490
19Computer Network Support Specialists$79,190
Associate's degree
$50,090 – $148,94013,620

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	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$218,290	$129,970 – $325,970	94,720
2	Computer Hardware EngineersBachelor's degree	$185,180	$126,590 – $281,210	19,820
3	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$174,410	$105,060 – $272,670	284,390
4	Database ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$170,160	$101,200 – $227,900	6,210
5	Computer and Information Research ScientistsMaster's degree	$159,100	$88,920 – $275,320	8,440
6	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$158,870	$97,070 – $224,930	14,870
7	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$141,590	$77,480 – $224,920	39,310
8	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$138,570	$66,070 – $221,000	15,570
9	Web and Digital Interface DesignersBachelor's degree	$136,110	$68,090 – $219,750	27,090
10	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$134,440	$58,340 – $222,690	80,150
11	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$128,740	$65,890 – $201,070	27,710
12	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$127,720	$79,110 – $181,770	59,060
13	Web DevelopersBachelor's degree	$119,570	$44,990 – $202,850	7,320
14	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$116,760	$70,310 – $172,300	11,340
15	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$113,060	$62,410 – $178,310	7,240
16	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$106,440	$72,400 – $166,730	26,170
17	Operations Research AnalystsBachelor's degree	$102,100	$65,510 – $168,030	10,620
18	Computer User Support SpecialistsSome college, no degree	$79,570	$52,270 – $122,750	74,490
19	Computer Network Support SpecialistsAssociate's degree	$79,190	$50,090 – $148,940	13,620

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 tech and IT jobs in California

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying tech and IT jobs in each state