California income
What counts as a good salary in California depends on whether you mean one paycheck or a whole household, and where in the state you live. Here is how incomes actually break down, using the newest U.S. Census data.
The short answer
The typical California household earns $99,122 a year. A household income around $124,000 puts you ahead of 60% of California households, and $202,700 puts you in the top 20%. For one person working full time, the typical California paycheck is $69,478 a year.
Median household income
$99,122
Half of California households earn more, half earn less
Top 20% starts at
$202,683
Household income, all earners combined
Full-time worker median
$69,478
One person, working full time, year round
The Census Bureau splits households into five equal groups, from lowest to highest income. These are the real cutoffs for California. Household income means everyone in the home combined, before taxes.
| Group | Household income | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 20% | Under $39,191 | Lower income |
| 20% to 40% | $39,191 to $77,573 | Lower middle |
| 40% to 60% | $77,573 to $123,854 | The middle of California |
| 60% to 80% | $123,854 to $202,683 | Upper middle |
| Top 20% | $202,683 and up | High income |
About 21% of California households earn $200,000 or more. Source: Census tables B19080 (household income quintile upper limits) and B19001.
By that measure, a household income of about $124,000 or more is a solidly good income in California: it beats 60% of households. Reach $202,700 and you are in the top fifth of the state.
Here is how common household incomes stack up against every household in the state.
| Household income | Earns more than |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | About 26% of California households |
| $75,000 | About 39% |
| $100,000 | About 50% |
| $150,000 | About 68% |
| $200,000 | About 79% |
Estimated from the Census household income ranges (table B19001) for California.
Household income often includes two earners, so it runs higher than a single paycheck. The median California worker who works full time, year round earns $69,478, compared with $61,657 nationally. Counting part-time and seasonal workers too, the median is $49,032.
So for one person, a salary above about $69,000 means you out-earn most full-time workers in California. How far it goes depends heavily on local housing costs, which vary a lot from city to city.
A common guideline, used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is that housing should take no more than 30% of your income. California's median rent is $2,036 a month. To keep that at 30% of income, you need about $81,400 a year. The national median rent is $1,413.
These are California's 20 largest places, sorted by median household income. The last column shows the yearly income needed to keep the median rent at 30% of income.
| City | Median household income | Median rent | Income to afford median rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont | $181,506 | $2,933 | $117,320 |
| San Jose | $146,427 | $2,669 | $106,760 |
| San Francisco | $140,970 | $2,476 | $99,040 |
| Irvine | $136,719 | $2,997 | $119,880 |
| Santa Clarita | $123,062 | $2,544 | $101,760 |
| San Diego | $108,077 | $2,313 | $92,520 |
| Chula Vista | $108,032 | $2,229 | $89,160 |
| Fontana | $102,821 | $1,839 | $73,560 |
| Oakland | $101,600 | $1,979 | $79,160 |
| Anaheim | $95,227 | $2,175 | $87,000 |
| Santa Ana | $93,999 | $2,082 | $83,280 |
| Riverside | $91,045 | $1,914 | $76,560 |
| Long Beach | $87,430 | $1,871 | $74,840 |
| Sacramento | $87,321 | $1,779 | $71,160 |
| Los Angeles | $81,939 | $1,933 | $77,320 |
| Bakersfield | $80,540 | $1,472 | $58,880 |
| Stockton | $79,907 | $1,577 | $63,080 |
| Modesto | $79,891 | $1,690 | $67,600 |
| Fresno | $70,991 | $1,421 | $56,840 |
| San Bernardino | $67,415 | $1,508 | $60,320 |
Rent is median gross rent per month. "Income to afford median rent" is 12 months of median rent divided by 30%. Source: Census tables B19013 and B25064, place level.
Among these places, Fremont has the highest median household income at $181,506, while San Bernardino has the lowest at $67,415. In every one of these places, the median household earns enough to keep the median rent under 30% of income.
How does your zip code compare?
See the median household income for every zip code in California, in one searchable table.
See income by zip code in CaliforniaCalifornia's median household income of $99,122 is 23% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The top-20% cutoff is $202,683 in California, compared with $162,235 nationally.
What is the average salary in California?
The median full-time, year-round worker in California earns $69,478. The median household, counting everyone in the home, earns $99,122.
Is $100,000 a good salary in California?
Yes. As a household income, $100,000 is higher than about 50% of California households. As a single salary, it is about 1.4 times what the typical full-time worker earns.
What income is considered middle class in California?
The middle fifth of California households earns $77,573 to $123,854. A broader middle class, from the 20th to the 80th percentile, runs from about $39,200 to $202,700.
Where does this data come from?
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020 to 2024, the most recent release. See our methodology for details.