A physician with his young patient. Physicians are among the highest paid professionals in Los Angeles County. Photo courtesy of Skeeze via Pixabay.com.
Also see: What People Earn by Occupation in Los Angeles County
| Occupational Title | Number Employed* | Average Annual Wage or Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | N/A (1,250 in 2019) | $310,527 |
| Orthodontists | N/A | $267,661 |
| Psychiatrists | 840 | $262,880 |
| Chief Executives | 6,600 | $246,347 |
| Physicians, All Other & Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 7,250 | $237,393 |
| Obstetricians & Gynecologists | 190 | $236,504 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, & Flight Engineers | 5,340 | $223,303 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,840 | $208,429 |
| Astronomers | 130 | $206,018 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 90 | $194,852 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting & Prevention Workers | 450 | $190,598 |
| Computer & Information Systems Managers | 15,810 | $187,458 |
| Nurse Midwives | 150 | $184,983 |
| Architectural & Engineering Managers | 7,150 | $184,825 |
| Lawyers | 30,260 | $179,550 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 1,030 | $177,128 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police & Detectives | 1,870 | $176,397 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 270 | $172,995 |
| Political Scientists | N/A | $172,621 |
| Pediatricians, General | 780 | $169,989 |
| Commercial Pilots | 1,740 | $166,635 |
| Marketing Managers | 10,470 | $164,115 |
| Philosophy & Religion Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,490 | $161,422 |
| Financial Managers | 24,450 | $160,499 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 700 | $160,427 |
| Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 420 | $160,228 |
| Advertising & Promotions Managers | 790 | $158,682 |
| Mining & Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 40 | $158,137 |
| Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,640 | $157,036 |
| Purchasing Managers | 1,930 | $155,742 |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 350 | $155,516 |
| Public Relations & Fundraising Managers | 2,880 | $155,236 |
| Human Resources Managers | 5,340 | $153,949 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 540 | $153,420 |
| Surgeons, Except Ophthalmologists | 1,230 | $153,223 |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 500 | $151,996 |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 910 | $151,619 |
| Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary | 430 | $151,307 |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | 810 | $150,475 |
| Personal Service Managers, All Other; Entertainment & Recreation Managers, Except Gambling; & Managers, All Other | 18,350 | $150,472 |
| Art Directors | 4,010 | $150,356 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 400 | $149,344 |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,190 | $149,044 |
| English Language & Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,060 | $148,023 |
| Sociologists | N/A (220 in 2019) | $147,465 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,700 | $147,148 |
| Recreation & Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 620 | $145,823 |
| Pharmacists | 9,860 | $144,854 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,640 | $143,026 |
| General & Operations Managers | 64,760 | $142,236 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | 50 | $141,851 |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, & Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 470 | $141,415 |
| Compensation & Benefits Managers | 380 | $140,221 |
| Construction Managers | 6,380 | $139,984 |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 440 | $139,908 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,630 | $139,776 |
| Training & Development Managers | 1,280 | $139,224 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 5,470 | $139,218 |
| Nuclear Engineers | N/A | $139,213 |
| Sales Managers | 19,460 | $139,147 |
| Producers & Directors | 22,900 | $139,105 |
| Computer & Information Research Scientists | 790 | $138,496 |
| Anthropology & Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 220 | $138,329 |
| Fire Inspectors & Investigators | 220 | $137,793 |
| Physician Assistants | 2,860 | $137,611 |
| Petroleum Engineers | 760 | $137,381 |
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | 280 | $137,167 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 3,600 | $135,937 |
| Economists | 440 | $135,040 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 910 | $134,512 |
| Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | 270 | $133,976 |
| Detectives & Criminal Investigators | 3,330 | $133,925 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 730 | $133,723 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 2,860 | $133,328 |
| Medical & Health Services Managers | 10,610 | $132,838 |
| Psychologists, All Other | 390 | $132,600 |
| Clinical, Counseling, & School Psychologists | 4,420 | $131,970 |
| Optometrists | 1,560 | $131,788 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 3,900 | $131,015 |
| Dentists, General | 2,640 | $130,883 |
| Atmospheric & Space Scientists | 410 | $130,696 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologists | N/A | $130,693 |
| Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 430 | $129,962 |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | 290 | $129,800 |
| Electrical Engineers | 5,650 | $127,726 |
| Physicists | 390 | $127,472 |
| Art, Drama, & Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 4,840 | $127,267 |
| Radiation Therapists | 220 | $124,595 |
| Actuaries | 240 | $123,372 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, & Conciliators | N/A | $123,318 |
| Health & Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers & Inspectors | 450 | $122,985 |
| Audiologists | N/A (160 in 2019) | $122,727 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 5,180 | $122,587 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 1,650 | $122,181 |
| Mathematicians | 70 | $122,150 |
| Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers | 39,790 | $122,103 |
| Foreign Language & Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 820 | $122,017 |
| Computer Network Architects | 3,680 | $121,335 |
| Emergency Management Directors | 150 | $120,482 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 330 | $119,610 |
* May 2020 Employment Estimates.
NA = Data not available.
Source: California Employment Development Dept.
A small number of professional entertainers (actors, singers, dancers, etc.) and athletes earn considerably high wages, however, most do not.
