Physical Scientists, All Other pay in California

$143,310avg. a year

$68.90 an hour · 2,320 employed

Physical Scientists, All Other in California earn an average of $143,310 a year. That is $14,080 (11%) more than the U.S. average of $129,230. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $177,370.

Pay by city Compare states

$130,610Median pay

$68.90Average hourly

+8%Avg. pay since 2020

#5Of 38 states + D.C.

Top-paying California metro areas

Average pay for physical scientists, all other by metro area. Swipe to see all 8.

1340 jobs

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$177,370

$85.28 an hour

260 jobs

Bakersfield-Delano, CA

$149,610

$71.93 an hour

3820 jobs

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$143,420

$68.95 an hour

4180 jobs

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

$135,730

$65.26 an hour

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$135,640

$65.21 an hour

650 jobs

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

$129,710

$62.36 an hour

740 jobs

Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

$112,750

$54.21 an hour

870 jobs

Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA

$104,690

$50.33 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.

Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.

Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.

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Physical Scientists, All Other pay in California, charted

Pay over time

California, annual wage, May of each year

AverageMedian

Where California physical scientists, all other work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state

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Under $111k$111k–$122k$122k–$138k$138k+California

California vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025

Area	Avg. pay	Hourly
United States	$129,230	$62.13
California	$143,310	$68.90
Arizona	$126,240	$60.69
Oregon	$110,560	$53.15

Related jobs in California

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$112,360
Chemists$106,810
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$108,910
Physicists$201,930
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$140,120
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$106,470

All jobs in California

Average pay, California, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do physical scientists, all other make in California?

The average is $143,310 a year, and the median is $130,610. That is $14,080 (11%) more than the U.S. average of $129,230.

What is the hourly wage in California?

$68.90 an hour on average; the median is $62.79.

Where in California do they earn the most?

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($177,370), followed by Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($149,610). The lowest average among 8 metro areas with data is Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA ($104,690).

How does California rank?

California ranks #5 of 39 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2099. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national physical scientists, all other page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.