StateRates

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara salaries

The median worker in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earned $82,470 a year in 2024, about $39.65 an hour. That ranks #1 of the 391 metro areas published here, 66.6% above the national median.

California

Median pay $82,470 $39.65 per hour
Vs national +66.6% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,134,660 wage and salary
Metro rank #1 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays 44.8% more 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.

Housing here moved -2.0% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +11.3% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Computer Hardware Engineers 16.73× 9,320 $197,090
Computer and Information Research Scientists 7.74× 2,190 $191,880
Software Developers 7.42× 90,280 $208,270
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 6.94× 4,800 $179,050
Web and Digital Interface Designers 5.24× 4,290 $178,100
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers 5.16× 7,590 $165,700
Semiconductor Processing Technicians 5.01× 1,190 $49,270
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians 4.91× 530 $74,870
Computer Occupations, All Other 4.81× 15,550 $168,070
Sales Engineers 3.92× 1,640 $173,640
Data Scientists 3.82× 6,570 $173,160
Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers 3.73× 7,160 $48,430

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Training and Development Managers $231,740 $111.41 940
Marketing Managers $228,580 $109.90 7,590
Architectural and Engineering Managers $226,940 $109.11 5,270
Nurse Practitioners $225,730 $108.52 1,280
Natural Sciences Managers $221,480 $106.48 1,100
Compensation and Benefits Managers $220,680 $106.10 350
Financial Managers $218,920 $105.25 9,350
Public Relations Managers $218,460 $105.03 910
Managers, All Other $215,120 $103.42 13,530
Physicists $214,520 $103.14 430
Registered Nurses $208,940 $100.45 21,460
Software Developers $208,270 $100.13 90,280
Sales Managers $200,450 $96.37 9,170
Computer Hardware Engineers $197,090 $94.76 9,320
Pharmacists $196,250 $94.35 1,950
Purchasing Managers $194,510 $93.52 650
Computer and Information Research Scientists $191,880 $92.25 2,190
Electrical Engineers $186,920 $89.87 4,750
Dentists, General $181,230 $87.13 1,480
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $179,050 $86.08 4,800
Web and Digital Interface Designers $178,100 $85.62 4,290
Statisticians $177,740 $85.45 420
Information Security Analysts $175,520 $84.38 2,500
Veterinarians $175,050 $84.16 340
Physical Scientists, All Other $174,810 $84.04 300
Computer Network Architects $174,120 $83.71 2,950
Sales Engineers $173,640 $83.48 1,640
Data Scientists $173,160 $83.25 6,570
Art Directors $170,760 $82.10 850
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $170,600 $82.02 490
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $170,590 $82.01 210
Industrial Production Managers $169,930 $81.70 2,250
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $168,660 $81.09 340
Computer Occupations, All Other $168,070 $80.80 15,550
Medical and Health Services Managers $167,460 $80.51 4,510
Aerospace Engineers $167,340 $80.45 840
Database Architects $166,210 $79.91 930
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $165,700 $79.66 7,590
Firefighters $164,940 $79.30 1,180
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $164,500 n/a 1,810
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $164,180 $78.93 1,570
General and Operations Managers $162,480 $78.11 17,070
Web Developers $161,750 $77.76 1,710
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $161,510 $77.65 3,020
Computer Systems Analysts $160,800 $77.31 8,510
Computer Programmers $159,250 $76.56 1,440
Special Effects Artists and Animators $158,070 $75.99 400
Engineers, All Other $157,770 $75.85 3,490
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $157,170 $75.56 1,040
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $156,890 $75.43 260
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $155,990 $75.00 1,600
Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $154,420 n/a 250
Fundraising Managers $152,940 $73.53 490
Actuaries $152,650 $73.39 300
Construction Managers $151,980 $73.07 2,100
Materials Engineers $151,260 $72.72 480
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $150,650 $72.43 2,520
Optometrists $149,340 $71.80 380
Database Administrators $148,430 $71.36 700
Mechanical Engineers $147,730 $71.02 3,910

Where most people work

Largest occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Software Developers 90,280 $208,270 $100.13
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 44,750 $36,920 $17.75
Registered Nurses 21,460 $208,940 $100.45
Fast Food and Counter Workers 21,320 $42,660 $20.51
Retail Salespersons 17,420 $43,040 $20.69
General and Operations Managers 17,070 $162,480 $78.11
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 16,470 $42,920 $20.64
Cashiers 16,430 $41,890 $20.14
Computer Occupations, All Other 15,550 $168,070 $80.80
Office Clerks, General 14,040 $56,330 $27.08
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 13,710 $106,680 $51.29
Managers, All Other 13,530 $215,120 $103.42
Accountants and Auditors 13,410 $121,630 $58.48
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 13,070 $46,030 $22.13
Waiters and Waitresses 12,660 $40,620 $19.53
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 12,490 $104,100 $50.05
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 12,240 $139,140 $66.89
Stockers and Order Fillers 10,750 $44,910 $21.59
Security Guards 10,150 $45,930 $22.08
Management Analysts 9,940 $141,150 $67.86

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

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pay: common questions

What is the average salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?

The median across all occupations is $82,470, or $39.65 an hour, covering 1,134,660 wage and salary workers. The mean is $121,160, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pay more than the rest of California?

Yes. The metro median of $82,470 is 44.8% above 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?

Training and Development Managers ($231,740), Marketing Managers ($228,580), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($226,940). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara unusually full of?

Computer Hardware Engineers, at 16.73× 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.