High Paying Jobs in California – If you want to find the best paying jobs in California you’ve come to the right place. Here are some high paying jobs in California for those who want to work hard and make a lot of money.
The top 14 highest paying jobs in California are listed below:
30 High-paying jobs in California
While the term “high-paying” is relative, for this article, high paying implies an amount significantly higher than the median U.S. annual income—currently at around $60,000 per year. Each of the career paths listed below has an average salary of at least $100,000, thus safely qualifying as high-paying work in the state of California. It should be noted that most jobs in the state of California pay substantially higher than the national average in their respective fields. The following high-paying jobs are all listed with salary information recorded from and linked to Indeed Salaries where pay adjustments are frequently made:
1. Senior information security analyst
Average salary: $101,095 per year
Primary duties: The senior information security analyst is responsible for evaluating information risk and taking corrective action when there are enterprise-wide data vulnerabilities. The job duties of a senior information security analyst include developing policies and standards that conform to existing regulatory standards, coordinating technology risk training and addressing questions from internal and external auditors.
2. General practitioner
Average salary: $101,724 per year
Primary duties: A general practitioner is a doctor who provides routine health care such as immunizations, physical examinations and treating or referring for many basic conditions.
3. Construction project manager
Average salary: $101,918 per year
Primary duties: Construction project managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of construction projects. Working with engineers and architects, they develop plans and establish budgets and timelines. Their job duties include hiring employees and subcontractors, getting the necessary permits and making sure all aspects of the construction conform to regulatory codes.
4. Java developer
Average salary: $103,390 per year
Primary duties: A Java developer designs, develops and maintains Java-based software applications. Sometimes this involves collaboration with web designers and software engineers to integrate Java into their websites and applications. Java developers are part of a product’s development life cycle from the beginning through testing and deployments. They might also be responsible for gathering user requirements, problem-solving issues that arise and assisting with quality assurance testing.
5. Senior accounting manager
Average salary: $106,578 per year
Primary duties: Senior accounting managers are responsible for business compliance with established financial principles, corporate fiscal policy and external regulations. Their duties include managing payroll and accounts payable, making sure all costs are recorded correctly, reconciling balances and preparing reports.
6. Optometrist
Average salary: $147,660 per year
Primary duties: Optometrists examine, diagnose and treat vision and eye conditions. While typically associated with prescribing corrective lenses, optometrists also treat a variety of eye diseases.
7. Petroleum engineer
Average salary: $107,986 per year
Primary duties: A petroleum engineer designs and develops methods for extracting oil and gas from beneath the earth’s surface. Their work may involve collaborating with geologists to design drilling operations or developing equipment to maximize oil and gas production.
8. Pharmacist
Average salary: $127,486 per year
Primary duties: A pharmacist reads prescriptions and fills them according to the directions given by the prescribing physician. For each prescription, the pharmacist verifies its accuracy, gathers the prescribed ingredients and evaluates the suitability of the medication. The pharmacist also advises the customer of any side effects, potential adverse interactions with other medications and correct storage.
9. Hardware engineer
Average salary: $115,014 per year
Primary duties: Hardware engineers research, design, develop and test circuit boards, processors, networks, routers and other computer systems and components.
10. Veterinarian
Average salary: $116,030 per year
Primary duties: A veterinarian researches, diagnoses and treats the diseases and medical conditions of animals. Their work often involves performing surgery, dressing injuries, prescribing and administering medication, educating animal owners and euthanizing animals.
11. Senior art director
Average salary: $116,206 per year
Primary duties: A senior art director is responsible for the production of a company’s creative materials. This includes meeting with company executives and clients, managing resources within a given budget and timeline and overseeing the day-to-day operation of the creative department.
12. Research Scientist
Average salary: $116,300 per year
Primary duties: Research scientists conduct investigations within a wide range of scientific fields. Their work mainly consists of designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, reporting findings to other researchers, writing papers and reports and doing fieldwork. They may also be called upon to teach and provide supervision to junior staff.
13. Actuary
Average salary: $117,220 per year
Primary duties: Actuaries use mathematics, statistics and financial theory to determine financial risks. They design ways to help a business avoid undesirable events or to minimize the effects of undesirable events should they occur.
14. Senior marketing manager
Average salary: $118,767 per year
Primary duties: The senior marketing manager oversees a company’s marketing staff. This includes making sure the marketing team is promoting the company and its products effectively, providing motivation and encouraging creativity among the staff. While a senior marketing manager’s duties can vary, generally those duties include conducting market research, planning and implementing market strategies and analyzing and assessing the team’s performance.
15. Physician assistant
Average salary: $119,181 per year
Primary duties: Physician assistants work with licensed physicians providing medical services to patients. This includes getting patient histories, performing examinations, diagnosing illnesses and developing treatment plans. They also order lab tests and analyze the results, as well as conduct medical procedures, including assisting with surgical operations.
16. Financial Reporting Manager
Average salary: $120,803 per year
Primary duties: A company’s financial reporting manager prepares government financial filings and quarterly financial releases. The financial reporting manager also reports financial trends and issues to management. They help management make important decisions that can affect the company’s budget.
17. Senior web developer
Average salary: $121,239 per year
Primary duties: A senior web developer’s job is to create a functional website that conforms to the client’s needs. Usually working as the leader of a team of junior developers, the senior web developer provides guidance and, where necessary, training for those that need it. Much of the senior web developer’s time is spent writing the code for the site and testing the site’s functionality.
18. Software engineer
Average salary: $124,787 per year
Primary duties: Software engineers are responsible for designing, developing and maintaining software systems. These include operating systems, business applications, mobile and web applications, games, connected hardware devices and networking systems. A software engineer also develops new software, expands existing software to meet new challenges and needs and writes tests for existing code.
19. Chief information officer
Average salary: $137,748 per year
Primary duties: The chief information officer (CIO) of a company is the executive in charge of the company’s information technology strategy. The CIO is also responsible for managing IT personnel, planning strategic growth objectives and making sure the company’s technology is in line with its business goals. Risk management is also an important part of the CIO’s job, as well as establishing IT policies and procedures.
20. Contract attorney
Average salary: $140,633 per year
Primary duties: Contract attorneys work for law firms for a limited period of time on a contractual basis. Their work includes drafting contracts, settlements and other legal documents; conducting research; preparing reports and providing general support to a legal team. A law firm may also hire a contract attorney to substitute for a full-time attorney who is out of the office.
21. Engineering manager
Average salary: $154,289 per year
Primary duties: Engineering managers plan, direct and coordinate activities and research within architectural and engineering companies. This involves, among other things, consulting with staff to develop project specifications and procedures, as well as preparing budgets and recruiting employees. The engineering manager also develops and implements policies, procedures and standards for all technical work performed.
22. Podiatrist
Average salary: $166,377 per year
Primary duties: Podiatrists diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower legs. They perform physical examinations and use radiographs and laboratory tests to make correct diagnoses. The podiatrist may need to prescribe medication, the use of corrective devices, physical therapy or surgery.
23. Nurse anesthetist
Primary duties: Nurse anesthetists work with anesthesiologists, surgeons, dentists and other medical practitioners to help safely administer anesthetics. Their duties include providing pain management, helping to keep patients stable and supervising patient recovery.
Primary duties: Nurse anesthetists work with anesthesiologists, surgeons, dentists and other medical practitioners to help safely administer anesthetics. Their duties include providing pain management, helping to keep patients stable and supervising patient recovery.
24. Pediatrician
Average salary: $210,769 per year
Primary duties: A pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in the medical care of children. Pediatricians examine and consult with patients and their parents or legal guardians. They also treat illnesses and conditions that are unique to infants, children and adolescents. Their work involves administering medication, performing examinations, reviewing patient histories, ordering tests and advising parents or guardians concerning the care of their children.
25. Dentist
Average salary: $220,583 per year
Primary duties: A dentist diagnoses and treats problems with a patient’s teeth, gums and mouth. The dentist’s work includes filling tooth cavities, repairing broken or fractured teeth, straightening teeth and educating patients on oral hygiene. When necessary, the dentist may need to take and examine radiographic images to correctly diagnose a patient’s condition.
Related: Learn About Being a Dentist
26. Surgeon
Average salary: $223,409 per year
Primary duties: A surgeon treats diseases and injuries to tissues, organs and bones using operative measures. During surgery, the surgeon leads the surgical team, making decisions regarding the patient’s health, safety and welfare. The surgeon is responsible for each patient before, during and after surgery, from diagnosis to recovery.
27. Psychiatrist
Average salary: $234,206 per year
Primary duties: Psychiatrists evaluate, diagnose and treat people suffering from temporary or chronic mental health problems. They assess each patient’s mental and physical symptoms and develop a plan to restore mental well-being. When long-term mental health management is necessary, they work with the patient to provide that care.
28. Obstetrics and gynecology physician
Average salary: $235,928 per year
Primary duties: An obstetrics and gynecology physician, or OB-GYN, specializes in female reproductive care. They are also able to offer women a wide range of general medical and surgical treatments. The OB-GYN’s duties include providing prenatal care, delivering babies and performing pelvic exams, cesarean sections and hysterectomies. They also offer pap smears, infertility treatments, breast exams and mammograms.
29. Orthodontist
Average salary: $287,860 per year
Primary duties: An orthodontist diagnoses and corrects abnormalities with a patient’s teeth. This includes straightening misaligned teeth using braces, retainers, aligners or expanders or removing teeth where there is overcrowding.
30. Anesthesiologist
Average salary: $358,575 per year
Primary duties: Anesthesiologists administer anesthetics or sedatives during surgical procedures. During the procedure, they monitor the patient’s vital signs and adjust the amount of anesthetics as necessary. They also provide pain relief outside of the operating room, for example during labor and delivery, or to patients suffering from chronic pain.