Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $134,910 | $146,653 | -8% |
| Median hourly wage | $64.86 | $70.51 | -8% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $121,870.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $209,498 | $116,250 | $271,250 | 244 |
| Oakland | $189,224 | $105,000 | $245,000 | 196 |
| Los Angeles | $173,005 | $96,000 | $224,000 | 173 |
| Long Beach | $162,192 | $90,000 | $210,000 | 153 |
| San Diego | $159,489 | $88,500 | $206,500 | 161 |
| Sacramento | $145,973 | $81,000 | $189,000 | 130 |
| Fresno | $128,402 | $71,250 | $166,250 | 105 |
The median annual salary for a Sales Manager in California is $134,910, or about $64.86 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Sales Managers is $146,653. California is -8% below the national median.
Entry-level sales managers in California typically earn from $116,250 depending on the city and employer.
With 112,440 sales manager jobs on record and a median salary of $134,910, California offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, sales managers rank 82 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 90% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Chief Executives at $218,600, Computer and Information Systems Managers at $218,290, Architectural and Engineering Managers at $210,280 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, sales managers rank 82 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 90% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $218,600 | $34,700 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $218,290 | $94,720 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $210,280 | $29,630 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $210,230 | $14,950 |
| Marketing Managers | $193,620 | $54,660 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | $93,310 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.