StateRates

Modesto salaries

The median worker in the Modesto, CA metro area earned $49,360 a year in 2024, about $23.73 an hour. That ranks #98 of the 391 metro areas published here, 0.3% below the national median.

California

Median pay $49,360 $23.73 per hour
Vs national -0.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 194,560 wage and salary
Metro rank #98 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Modesto pays 13.3% 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
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 13.99× 4,620 $38,750
Food Processing Workers, All Other 7.71× 560 $39,820
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 7.27× 500 $56,430
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 4.58× 2,220 $56,990
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other 3.87× 560 $60,570
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 2.92× 1,780 $58,420
Recreation Workers 2.33× 910 $35,500
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 2.33× 2,360 $55,330
Packers and Packagers, Hand 2.2× 1,670 $39,960
Cooks, Fast Food 2.02× 1,700 $36,650
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 1.96× 920 $36,700
Dental Assistants 1.81× 860 $48,650

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Modesto
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $181,410 $87.22 230
Physician Assistants $178,520 $85.83 200
Physicians, All Other $172,330 $82.85 280
Registered Nurses $169,460 $81.47 5,260
Pharmacists $166,760 $80.17 360
Nurse Practitioners $164,790 $79.23 390
Lawyers $159,220 $76.55 400
Computer and Information Systems Managers $158,200 $76.06 250
Financial Managers $156,720 $75.35 590
Managers, All Other $156,000 $75.00 460
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $155,390 n/a 470
Medical and Health Services Managers $140,020 $67.32 770
Instructional Coordinators $125,210 $60.20 240
Physical Therapists $124,130 $59.68 360
Construction Managers $121,840 $58.58 320
Industrial Production Managers $121,780 $58.55 320
Dental Hygienists $121,010 $58.18 210
Software Developers $116,180 $55.86 280
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $115,930 n/a 210
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $112,920 $54.29 270
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $109,770 $52.77 770
Administrative Services Managers $105,250 $50.60 310
Computer Systems Analysts $105,150 $50.56 220
General and Operations Managers $104,540 $50.26 2,760
Respiratory Therapists $103,820 $49.91 290
Civil Engineers $103,040 $49.54 300
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $101,900 n/a 590
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $100,430 n/a 2,370
Project Management Specialists $98,930 $47.56 690
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,150 n/a 1,700
Management Analysts $97,410 $46.83 480
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $97,070 $46.67 310
Teachers and Instructors, All Other $97,040 n/a 390
Healthcare Social Workers $95,710 $46.01 230
Sales Managers $95,210 $45.78 830
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $95,040 $45.69 780
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $92,850 $44.64 530
Logisticians $92,270 $44.36 220
Computer Occupations, All Other $91,020 $43.76 320
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $87,430 $42.03 630
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $87,030 $41.84 470
Accountants and Auditors $85,640 $41.18 1,220
Firefighters $84,200 $40.48 360
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $82,790 $39.80 220
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $82,080 $39.46 400
Cost Estimators $81,310 $39.09 280
Loan Officers $79,600 $38.27 210
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $78,510 $37.75 810
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $77,270 $37.15 930
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $77,240 $37.14 1,510
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $77,140 $37.09 1,380
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $76,450 n/a 280
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $75,800 $36.44 1,030
Human Resources Specialists $75,500 $36.30 800
Electricians $75,380 $36.24 760
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $73,790 $35.48 420
Food Service Managers $73,730 $35.45 300
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $73,180 $35.18 400
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $72,900 $35.05 220
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $71,010 $34.14 1,580

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Modesto by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 8,370 $33,380 $16.05
Fast Food and Counter Workers 7,250 $37,430 $18.00
Registered Nurses 5,260 $169,460 $81.47
Cashiers 4,980 $36,030 $17.32
Retail Salespersons 4,910 $36,210 $17.41
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 4,630 $46,230 $22.23
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 4,620 $38,750 $18.63
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 3,630 $52,720 $25.35
Stockers and Order Fillers 3,610 $40,090 $19.27
Office Clerks, General 3,090 $46,520 $22.37
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 2,820 $45,790 n/a
General and Operations Managers 2,760 $104,540 $50.26
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,440 $39,300 $18.89
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 2,370 $100,430 n/a
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 2,360 $55,330 $26.60
Waiters and Waitresses 2,280 $34,310 $16.50
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2,220 $56,990 $27.40
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,890 $52,090 $25.04
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,820 $60,040 $28.87
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term 1,780 $58,420 $28.09

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

Modesto pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Modesto?

The median across all occupations is $49,360, or $23.73 an hour, covering 194,560 wage and salary workers. The mean is $66,370, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Modesto pay more than the rest of California?

No. The metro median of $49,360 is 13.3% 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 Modesto?

Chief Executives ($181,410), Physician Assistants ($178,520), Physicians, All Other ($172,330). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Modesto unusually full of?

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, at 13.99× 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.