What is the median income in California?
Half of adults with income in California made less than $45,700 in 2024, and half made more. For full-time, year-round workers, median earnings were $69,000. Across the whole US the figures were $42,600 and $60,900.
Income percentiles by age in California
Each row shows the income at that percentile for one age group. To be in the top 10% of people with income aged 35 to 44 in California, for example, takes $193,000.
| Age | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | $2,340 | $6,700 | $17,100 | $32,500 | $50,800 | $122,000 |
| 25–34 | $10,900 | $26,100 | $48,700 | $81,200 | $132,000 | $341,000 |
| 35–44 | $12,200 | $30,500 | $61,900 | $112,000 | $193,000 | $688,000 |
| 45–54 | $13,500 | $30,500 | $60,900 | $117,000 | $203,000 | $688,000 |
| 55–64 | $10,200 | $24,400 | $50,800 | $102,000 | $182,000 | $688,000 |
| 65 and over | $8,530 | $14,600 | $32,500 | $71,000 | $130,000 | $449,000 |
| All ages 18+ | $8,530 | $20,300 | $45,700 | $89,300 | $155,000 | $488,000 |
Full-time workers
Comparing full-time, year-round workers only leaves out students, part-time workers and retirees, so the figures run higher.
| Age | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | $17,900 | $26,400 | $36,500 | $50,800 | $73,100 | $183,000 |
| 25–34 | $29,400 | $40,600 | $60,900 | $97,500 | $152,000 | $365,000 |
| 35–44 | $30,500 | $48,700 | $81,200 | $130,000 | $203,000 | $688,000 |
| 45–54 | $30,500 | $45,700 | $79,200 | $132,000 | $213,000 | $688,000 |
| 55–64 | $30,500 | $43,700 | $72,100 | $122,000 | $203,000 | $688,000 |
| 65 and over | $26,400 | $40,600 | $71,100 | $122,000 | $203,000 | $688,000 |
| All ages 18+ | $28,400 | $40,600 | $69,000 | $116,000 | $193,000 | $688,000 |
What income is top 10% in California?
An income of $155,000 or more put an adult in the top 10% of people with income in California in 2024. Among full-time, year-round workers, the top 10% earned $193,000 or more.
What income is top 1% in California?
About $488,000 or more put an adult in the top 1% of people with income in California in 2024. The Census Bureau caps the very highest incomes in its public files to protect privacy, so treat the top 1% line as approximate.
What is a good income for my age in California?
Compared with others your age, median income for people with income in California is $48,700 at 25–34, $61,900 at 35–44, $60,900 at 45–54 and $50,800 at 55–64. Reaching the top 25% takes $81,200 at 25–34, $112,000 at 35–44, $117,000 at 45–54 and $102,000 at 55–64.
At what age do people earn the most in California?
Full-time workers in California earn the most at ages 35–44, with median earnings of $81,200 in 2024. Pay usually rises quickly through the 20s and 30s, then levels off.
How this income percentile calculator works
- Everyone with income: Total personal income before taxes: wages, self-employment, investments, Social Security, pensions and other sources, for people aged 18 and over with income above $0.
- Full-time workers: Earnings from work before taxes for full-time, year-round workers: usually 35 or more hours a week for 50 or more weeks of the year.
- Data: the US Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-year Public Use Microdata Sample, weighted to represent every adult in California.
- Your percentile is interpolated between the published 1st to 99th percentiles of your age group, so it is precise to within about a point. Groups built on few survey responses, mostly young full-time workers in small states, are flagged.