California · SOC 17-2031
Biomedical Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for biomedical engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Biomedical Engineers in California earn a median of $125,700 per year ($127,610 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $100,490–$150,160; the top 10% earn $173,630. That is 18% above the national median of $106,950, ranking California #3 of 37 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$125,700
+18% vs national
Top 10% earn
$173,630
90th percentile
Employed in state
2,900
Reliability Moderate (11.7% RSE)
Biomedical Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $83,990 | +17% |
| 25th percentile | $100,490 | +16% |
| Median50th percentile | $125,700 | +18% |
| 75th percentile | $150,160 | +12% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $173,630 | +5% |
| Meanaverage | $127,610 | +11% |
Where biomedical engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2031. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,490 | $205,160 | 270 |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $136,720 | $179,710 | 620 |
| Santa MariaSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $127,640 | $184,750 | 40 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $125,380 | $159,050 | 30 |
| RiversideRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $122,520 | $171,480 | 120 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $116,790 | $162,120 | 510 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $115,020 | $168,660 | 940 |
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $108,120 | $158,160 | 80 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.13
Jobs per 1,000
0.16
State rank (pay)
#3 of 37
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 1.13 means California employs biomedical engineers at roughly the national rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a biomedical engineer make in California?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2031 (Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →