Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $136,110 | $109,436 | +24% |
| Median hourly wage | $65.44 | $52.61 | +24% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $122,954.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $151,900 | $116,250 | $217,000 | 244 |
| Oakland | $137,200 | $105,000 | $196,000 | 196 |
| Los Angeles | $125,440 | $96,000 | $179,200 | 173 |
| Long Beach | $117,600 | $90,000 | $168,000 | 153 |
| San Diego | $115,640 | $88,500 | $165,200 | 161 |
| Sacramento | $105,840 | $81,000 | $151,200 | 130 |
| Fresno | $93,100 | $71,250 | $133,000 | 105 |
The median annual salary for a UX Designer in California is $136,110, or about $65.44 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for UX Designers is $109,436. California is +24% above the national median.
Entry-level ux designers in California typically earn from $116,250 depending on the city and employer.
With 27,090 ux designer jobs on record and a median salary of $136,110, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, ux designers rank 78 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 90% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other at $180,500, Software Developers at $174,410, Database Architects at $170,160 — 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, ux designers rank 78 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 90% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | $180,500 | $120 |
| Software Developers | $174,410 | $284,390 |
| Database Architects | $170,160 | $6,210 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $159,100 | $8,440 |
| Computer Network Architects | $158,870 | $14,870 |
| Data Scientists | $141,590 | $39,310 |
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.