Top 100 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Table 1 compares the top 100 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, ranked by annual average salary. For each job, the table displays the number of employees with that job, as well as the job's entry-level salary. (The entry-level salary is calculated based on the 10% of paid workers with the lowest salaries.)

Based on the table, we see that the highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA are those of computer and information research scientist, with an average annual salary of $232,860. The second highest-paying jobs are those of lawyer, with an average salary of $232,320.

All of the shown salary and employment information for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has been computed using data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2023. Notably, the highest-paying occupations change from year to year. Tables 2, 3, and 4 show the top 10 highest-paying occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA in 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Table 1. Top 100 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (2022 survey)

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	No. of Empl i
1	Computer and Information Research Scientists	$232,860	$151,280	1,950
2	Lawyers	$232,320	$126,460	5,420
3	Nurse Anesthetists	$227,100	$84,790	180
4	Web and Digital Interface Designers	$223,270	$100,070	3,790
5	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$222,340	$156,530	20,080
6	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$218,390	$162,810	6,440
7	All Other Managers	$214,640	$117,960	11,380
8	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$214,320	$214,320	80
9	Natural Sciences Managers	$213,810	$103,460	1,340
10	Marketing Managers	$212,380	$124,760	7,350
11	Nurse Practitioners	$210,970	$144,150	1,170
12	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$207,490	$94,410	770
13	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$199,700	$76,560	170
14	Software Developers	$193,140	$127,900	83,860
15	Financial Managers	$191,050	$104,160	8,700
16	Human Resources Managers	$188,110	$101,450	2,680
17	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$186,890	$100,120	200
18	Computer Network Architects	$185,330	$96,960	3,580
19	Public Relations Managers	$180,440	$100,650	710
20	Sales Managers	$180,400	$77,190	10,250
21	Pharmacists	$179,820	$136,660	1,670
22	Physician Assistants	$176,460	$126,240	720
23	Database Architects	$175,700	$103,910	840
24	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$174,660	$106,540	260
25	Nurse Midwives	$172,870	$157,200	70
26	Physicists	$172,270	$96,460	400
27	Data Scientists	$172,110	$93,430	4,940
28	Training and Development Managers	$171,990	$101,430	530
29	Astronomers	$170,720	$108,250	110
30	Computer Hardware Engineers	$167,930	$118,720	10,130
31	Purchasing Managers	$167,120	$118,930	960
32	General Dentists	$164,890	$99,990	1,190
33	Statisticians	$163,310	$115,840	420
34	Registered Nurses	$163,070	$107,370	20,150
35	Medical and Health Services Managers	$162,330	$74,380	3,330
36	Computer Occupations, All Other	$162,280	$77,850	14,470
37	Electronics Engineers (Non Computer)	$160,510	$88,750	4,990
38	Nuclear Medicine Technologists	$159,780	$110,190	80
39	Information Security Analysts	$158,650	$102,740	3,860
40	Elementary and Secondary School Education Administrators	$158,610	$93,290	1,200
41	Art Directors	$158,000	$94,980	590
42	Electrical Engineers	$155,480	$86,380	5,360
43	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	$154,940	$92,850	9,270
44	General and Operations Managers	$154,820	$69,290	17,570
45	Advertising and Promotions Managers	$154,760	$89,540	130
46	Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Sales Representatives	$154,720	$79,600	7,580
47	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$154,200	$73,610	1,480
48	Sales Engineers	$154,040	$93,830	3,500
49	Computer Systems Analysts	$150,920	$92,260	8,780
50	Economists	$150,680	$77,290	70
51	Industrial Production Managers	$150,260	$95,060	2,410
52	Hydrologists	$144,900	$89,290	60
53	Computer Programmers	$141,730	$85,950	3,100
54	Elevator Installers and Repairers	$141,440	$78,830	40
55	Network and Computer Systems Administrators	$140,500	$82,430	3,960
56	Audiologists	$139,250	$106,140	90
57	Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$139,050	$81,050	230
58	Engineers, All Other	$137,890	$88,270	4,990
59	Project Management Specialists	$137,710	$79,000	10,630
60	Chemical Engineers	$137,390	$82,980	110
61	Aerospace Engineers	$136,930	$74,620	1,270
62	Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	$136,710	$98,480	470
63	Materials Engineers	$136,600	$84,020	510
64	Genetic Counselors	$136,210	$113,630	60
65	Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	$135,610	$68,650	210
66	Avionics Technicians	$135,360	$92,930	400
67	Emergency Management Directors	$135,160	$97,210	30
68	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$134,990	$103,040	530
69	Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$134,890	$71,220	350
70	Other Psychologists	$134,660	$32,070	90
71	Physical Therapists	$134,520	$99,800	1,380
72	Other Physical Scientists	$134,440	$86,650	390
73	Construction Managers	$133,210	$92,360	1,890
74	Database Administrators	$133,110	$49,870	990
75	Sociologists	$133,060	$75,040	40
76	Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$132,930	$88,470	2,880
77	Multimedia Artists and Animators	$132,800	$81,760	670
78	Postsecondary Economics Teachers	$132,480	$81,690	90
79	Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists	$132,450	$93,110	160
80	Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric	$132,350	$38,600	310
81	Mechanical Engineers	$131,700	$83,630	3,730
82	Web Developers	$130,270	$64,750	960
83	Veterinarians	$130,160	$73,170	310
84	Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors	$130,000	$93,340	190
85	Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers	$128,750	$83,220	40
86	Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	$127,910	$74,430	1,270
87	Other Biological Scientists	$127,780	$74,840	1,010
88	Urban and Regional Planners	$127,760	$82,140	400
89	Postsecondary Engineering Teachers	$127,480	$74,740	280
90	Occupational Therapists	$127,390	$95,240	690
91	Budget Analysts	$127,200	$79,080	420
92	Optometrists	$127,180	$98,170	380
93	Dental Hygienists	$126,800	$110,290	1,720
94	Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	$126,730	$79,860	30
95	Fundraising Managers	$126,340	$79,350	330
96	Financial Analysts	$126,330	$80,110	2,730
97	Administrative Services Managers	$125,510	$71,020	2,280
98	Facilities Managers	$124,890	$73,470	1,230
99	Postsecondary Education Administrators	$124,500	$79,430	1,500
100	Biochemists and Biophysicists	$124,020	$74,310	420

Table 2. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA – 2021 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates	$205,090
2	Marketing Managers	$204,540
3	Sales Managers	$196,800
4	Database Architects	$192,900
5	Financial Managers	$192,580
6	All Other Managers	$191,390
7	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$182,620
8	Computer Hardware Engineers	$179,230
9	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$177,010
10	Human Resources Managers	$173,120

Table 3. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA – 2020 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	Marketing Managers	$199,970
2	Sales Managers	$192,110
3	Natural Sciences Managers	$189,900
4	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$184,680
5	General Dentists	$183,880
6	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$182,990
7	All Other Personal Service Managers, Entertainment Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers	$180,440
8	Management Occupations	$175,980
9	Financial Managers	$174,200
10	Compensation and Benefits Managers	$173,880

Table 4. Top 10 highest-paying jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA – 2019 survey

Rank	Job Description	Average Salary i
1	General Internal Medicine Physicians	$207,490
2	Lawyers	$207,130
3	General Pediatricians	$202,050
4	Computer and Information Systems Managers	$198,220
5	Marketing Managers	$187,660
6	Architectural and Engineering Managers	$187,410
7	Natural Sciences Managers	$182,010
8	General Dentists	$179,070
9	First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers	$174,010
10	All Other Personal Service Managers, Entertainment Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers	$170,310

Also see The most popular jobs in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.

Also see The most popular jobs in California, The top paying jobs in California.