California salary, ages 16-19
Based on U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS · full-time, year-round wage earners
Full-time ages 16-19 workers in California earn a median of $29,036, ranking #11 of 51 states — above the national middle. The average is about $30,413, and the top 10% earn at least $47,717.
- What is the median salary for ages 16-19 workers in California, and how does it rank?
- About $29,036 — #11 of 51 states (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS).
- How does California compare to the top-paying state for ages 16-19?
- The highest is Rhode Island (median $53,245); California is $29,036.
- Which age group earns the most in California?
- ages 35-39, with a median of about $81,220.
- Is pay spread out for ages 16-19 in California?
- Fairly even — the top 10% earn about 4.2× the bottom 10%.
- What do the top 10% / 25% earn at ages 16-19 in California?
- Top 10% earn at least $47,717; top 25% at least $37,891.
- What do the bottom 10% / 25% earn at ages 16-19 in California?
- Bottom 10% earn at most $11,268; bottom 25% at most $20,305.
Full-time ages 16-19 workers in California earn a median of $29,036, ranking #11 of 51 states — above the national middle. The top 10% earn at least $47,717 and the top 25% at least $37,891; the bottom 25% earn at most $20,305 and the bottom 10% at most $11,268. The average is $30,413. Monthly pay is about $2,420, hourly wage about $13.96. U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS · full-time, year-round wage earners, released 2025-10-16.
Per month, per hour
Based on a typical (median) earner
- Monthly$2,420
- Hourly$14.0
- Take-home monthly$2,070
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At a glance
- Ranks #11 of 51 states for ages 16-19
- 23% lower than the next-younger cohort
- Highest in this age group: Rhode Island ({value})
- Top 10% earn 4.2x more than the bottom 10%
- $50K is in the top 8.7% for this age group
- Pay peaks at ages 35-39; this cohort is at 36% of that peak
Top-paying occupations at this age
Ranked by median pay for this state and age group (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS; low-sample occupations excluded).
| Occupation | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Material Moving | $30,506 |
| Sales and Related | $30,458 |
| Construction and Extraction | $30,458 |
| Production | $30,458 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $28,427 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $26,933 |
About this page
This page covers the salary distribution of full-time ages 16-19 wage and salary earners in California, U.S. The median is $29,036 — #11 of 51 states — and the average is $30,413. In California, the peak-earning age band is ages 35-39 (median $81,220). Figures are aggregated from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS microdata in five-year age bands.
How we calculated
Figures for California ages 16-19 are tabulated from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS microdata, restricted to full-time, year-round wage and salary earners and grouped into five-year age bands. On this page the median is $29,036 and the 10th–90th percentile range runs $11,268–$47,717; the upper and lower percentiles come from rank statistics on the same sample. Self-employment and irregular income are excluded.
- U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS (state · age weighted distribution)
- https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/microdata/access.html