California salary, ages 45-49
Based on U.S. Census ACS 1-year 2024 PUMS · full-time, year-round wage earners
ages 45-49 is the peak-earning age band in California, with a median salary of $81,220. The average is about $113,256, and the top 10% earn at least $209,142.
- What is the median salary for ages 45-49 workers in California, and how does it rank?
- About $81,220 — #7 of 51 states (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year PUMS).
- How does California compare to the top-paying state for ages 45-49?
- The highest is Washington, D.C. (median $126,686); California is $81,220.
- Which age group earns the most in California?
- ages 35-39, with a median of about $81,220.
- Is pay spread out for ages 45-49 in California?
- The average sits above the $81,220 median, so pay skews high — the top and bottom 10% are about 6.6× apart.
- What do the top 10% / 25% earn at ages 45-49 in California?
- Top 10% earn at least $209,142; top 25% at least $134,013.
- What do the bottom 10% / 25% earn at ages 45-49 in California?
- Bottom 10% earn at most $31,473; bottom 25% at most $48,732.
ages 45-49 is the peak-earning age band in California, with a median salary of $81,220. The $113,256 average runs well above the $81,220 median, reflecting a high-earning tail — the top 10% reach $209,142 and the top 25% $134,013, while the bottom 25% and 10% sit at $48,732 and $31,473. Monthly pay is about $6,768, hourly wage about $39.05. 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$6,768
- Hourly$39.0
- Take-home monthly$5,125
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At a glance
- Ranks #7 of 51 states for ages 45-49
- 1% higher than the next-younger cohort
- Highest in this age group: Washington, D.C. ({value})
- Top 10% earn 6.6x more than the bottom 10%
- $100K is in the top 41.1% for this age group
- This is the peak age group for pay
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 |
|---|---|
| Legal | $152,288 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $150,581 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $137,059 |
| Management | $127,922 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $126,906 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $121,830 |
About this page
This page covers the salary distribution of full-time ages 45-49 wage and salary earners in California, U.S. The median is $81,220 — #7 of 51 states — and the average is $113,256. 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 45-49 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 $81,220 and the 10th–90th percentile range runs $31,473–$209,142; 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