Insights / Widest healthcare wage spreads / California
5 widest healthcare wage spreads in California
Enter California Social Workers as $67,630 rather than a round number from memory.
Write California Social Workers as $89,660 before a national midpoint replaces it.
Save California Social Workers as $118,740 ahead of the posting you want.
Quote California Psychiatric Technicians $46,620 so local pay stays visible.
Each occupation
1Healthcare Social Workers
- 25th percentile
- $67,630
- State median
- $89,660
- 75th percentile
- $118,740
- Spread as percent of median
- 57.0%
2Psychiatric Technicians
- 25th percentile
- $46,620
- State median
- $49,140
- 75th percentile
- $74,390
- Spread as percent of median
- 56.5%
3Medical Records Specialists
- 25th percentile
- $49,000
- State median
- $61,810
- 75th percentile
- $80,630
- Spread as percent of median
- 51.2%
4Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- 25th percentile
- $56,700
- State median
- $76,010
- 75th percentile
- $89,480
- Spread as percent of median
- 43.1%
5Physician Assistants
- 25th percentile
- $136,730
- State median
- $165,650
- 75th percentile
- $206,990
- Spread as percent of median
- 42.4%
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Occupation | 25th percentile | State median | 75th percentile | Spread as percent of median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healthcare Social Workers | $67,630 | $89,660 | $118,740 | 57.0% |
| 2 | Psychiatric Technicians | $46,620 | $49,140 | $74,390 | 56.5% |
| 3 | Medical Records Specialists | $49,000 | $61,810 | $80,630 | 51.2% |
| 4 | Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians | $56,700 | $76,010 | $89,480 | 43.1% |
| 5 | Physician Assistants | $136,730 | $165,650 | $206,990 | 42.4% |
Takeaways
- Set California Psychiatric Technicians near $49,140 and the figure stays beside the title.
- Match California Psychiatric Technicians to $74,390 ahead of the compensation review.
- Brief California Records Specialists as $49,000 so the offer letter names the figure.
- Start California Records Specialists from $61,810 before the range goes out.
For recruiters
- Anchor California Records Specialists at $80,630 while the manager still has the draft.
- Write California Social Workers as $67,630 inside the Hiring Pack before you post.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
The spread is the OEWS 75th percentile minus the 25th percentile, divided by the state median, shown as a percent. Both percentiles have to be published. The 5 widest spreads in California are shown. OEWS May 2025. Sorted by that spread, California is 14 of 51. A row links to the California metro page with the highest public market difficulty score for that occupation when one is published, and otherwise to the occupation page on the hiring grid. An unpublished percentile or employment count is shown as unpublished rather than replaced with a zero. The wages are annual OEWS figures. They are not job listings and they are not an employer's current offer. Read the comparison beside the dollar figures: a high state wage can still sit under the national median for that occupation, and a lower state wage can still sit above it. Rounded figures in the prose: $67,630 is stated as about $67.6K. $89,660 is stated as about $89.7K. $118,740 is stated as about $118.7K. $165,650 is stated as about $165.7K.
Sources
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