StateRates

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim salaries

The median worker in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earned $53,490 a year in 2024, about $25.72 an hour. That ranks #44 of the 391 metro areas published here, 8.1% above the national median.

California

Median pay $53,490 $25.72 per hour
Vs national +8.1% U.S. $49,500
Workers 6,199,940 wage and salary
Metro rank #44 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays 6.1% less than California as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Media and Communication Workers, All Other 7.98× 7,570 $97,980
51-6092 6.76× 780 $79,820
Lighting Technicians 2,440 $83,200
Film and Video Editors 5.8× 6,730 $83,200
Special Effects Artists and Animators 5.59× 4,780 $129,260
Sound Engineering Technicians 5.34× 2,800 $77,620
Costume Attendants 5.09× 1,290 $101,860
Set and Exhibit Designers 4.76× 2,080 $100,020
Marriage and Family Therapists 4.68× 12,400 $64,420
Word Processors and Typists 4.66× 6,750 $53,340
Shampooers 4.25× 1,520 $35,970
Producers and Directors 4.13× 24,110 $127,590

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $231,500 $111.30 12,420
Lawyers $205,900 $98.99 40,990
Podiatrists $193,510 $93.03 370
Computer and Information Systems Managers $191,410 $92.02 24,260
Architectural and Engineering Managers $181,400 $87.21 8,850
Commercial Pilots $177,300 n/a 2,110
Dentists, General $176,200 $84.71 4,300
Financial Managers $171,920 $82.65 35,320
Natural Sciences Managers $171,620 $82.51 2,620
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $171,390 $82.40 2,220
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $169,590 $81.53 4,800
Air Traffic Controllers $169,230 $81.36 670
Managers, All Other $165,340 $79.49 32,970
Nurse Practitioners $164,510 $79.09 6,400
Marketing Managers $163,100 $78.42 19,180
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $162,980 n/a 670
Human Resources Managers $161,970 $77.87 8,890
Petroleum Engineers $161,320 $77.56 300
Psychologists, All Other $160,640 $77.23 500
Pharmacists $158,450 $76.18 12,390
Physician Assistants $156,210 $75.10 4,710
Radiation Therapists $155,360 $74.69 380
Software Developers $155,330 $74.68 54,650
Advertising and Promotions Managers $152,460 $73.30 1,020
Computer and Information Research Scientists $149,070 $71.67 1,120
Compensation and Benefits Managers $148,870 $71.57 920
Public Relations Managers $146,630 $70.50 3,460
Database Architects $145,300 $69.86 1,730
Nuclear Medicine Technologists $145,190 $69.80 460
Aerospace Engineers $143,860 $69.16 6,090
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers $142,520 $68.52 340
Purchasing Managers $142,120 $68.33 2,760
Computer Hardware Engineers $140,890 $67.74 2,160
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators $140,660 $67.62 1,360
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $139,080 n/a 10,550
Veterinarians $138,430 $66.55 2,470
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $138,200 $66.44 5,010
Computer Network Architects $137,910 $66.30 4,520
Optometrists $137,070 $65.90 2,720
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $136,920 $65.83 1,400
Training and Development Managers $135,820 $65.30 2,030
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $135,510 n/a 880
Electrical Engineers $134,900 $64.86 7,870
Art Directors $133,550 $64.21 6,930
Registered Nurses $133,440 $64.16 107,340
Physicists $133,070 $63.98 370
Physical Scientists, All Other $132,490 $63.70 560
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $132,350 n/a 540
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary $132,210 n/a 780
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary $132,130 n/a 380
Information Security Analysts $131,280 $63.11 4,420
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary $131,160 n/a 1,190
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $130,750 n/a 480
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary $130,430 n/a 1,430
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary $130,330 n/a 1,840
Special Effects Artists and Animators $129,260 $62.15 4,780
Emergency Management Directors $128,860 $61.95 310
Construction Managers $128,730 $61.89 10,430
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $128,470 $61.77 6,600
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $128,190 n/a 300

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 350,610 $34,600 $16.64
Fast Food and Counter Workers 153,840 $36,480 $17.54
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 128,800 $39,200 $18.85
Retail Salespersons 122,120 $36,580 $17.59
Cashiers 114,090 $36,120 $17.37
Office Clerks, General 111,440 $47,180 $22.68
Registered Nurses 107,340 $133,440 $64.16
General and Operations Managers 102,370 $127,610 $61.35
Waiters and Waitresses 91,020 $35,060 $16.86
Stockers and Order Fillers 89,180 $38,450 $18.49
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 84,960 $36,880 $17.73
Security Guards 77,910 $42,940 $20.64
Customer Service Representatives 66,800 $47,370 $22.78
Accountants and Auditors 65,590 $93,890 $45.14
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 63,940 $59,560 $28.63
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 62,890 $52,000 $25.00
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 62,860 $74,760 $35.94
Cooks, Restaurant 57,770 $44,700 $21.49
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 57,620 $70,900 $34.09
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 57,520 $56,730 $27.28

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other California metro areas

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?

The median across all occupations is $53,490, or $25.72 an hour, covering 6,199,940 wage and salary workers. The mean is $76,200, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pay more than the rest of California?

No. The metro median of $53,490 is 6.1% below the California median of $56,940. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?

Chief Executives ($231,500), Lawyers ($205,900), Podiatrists ($193,510). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim unusually full of?

Media and Communication Workers, All Other, at 7.98× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.