Women in California: Earnings and the Pay Gap
Measured median earnings for women and men who work full-time, year-round in California, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2024). Every figure on this page lists its source and year.
Where California sits
In 2024, the median woman working full-time, year-round in California earned $63,653, compared with $72,043 for the median man: 88.3 cents on the dollar, a difference of $8,390. That is above the national figure of 83.1% and ranks California #4 of 51 (50 states plus DC, 1 = smallest gap). ACS figures are survey estimates with margins of error, so states with similar ratios may not differ meaningfully.
These are all-occupation medians. Part of any state gap reflects differences in the jobs and hours women and men work; the figures describe the gap, not its causes.
Professions: modeled estimates for California
There is no official state-by-profession pay gap series. The Pay Gap Lookup shows measured national BLS medians for each profession (2025) and California’s measured ACS gap, plus a clearly labeled modeled estimate: the national BLS median for women in the job, adjusted by California’s ACS women-to-men ratio relative to the national ratio. It assumes the job’s gap moves with the state’s overall gap, which may not hold.
Representation
For the current share of women in the California legislature, statewide offices, and Congress, see the Center for American Women and Politics (Rutgers), which updates these counts after each election.
Fields (national data)
Other US states
Related national data & research
Frequently asked
What is the gender pay gap in California?
In 2024, women working full-time, year-round in California had median earnings of $63,653 versus $72,043 for men, or 88.3% (Census ACS 2024 1-year, table B20017).
How does California compare with the US?
The national figure is 83.1% ($55,678 vs $66,965). California ranks #4 of 51 on this measure, before accounting for margins of error.
Are the profession figures for California measured?
No. Profession medians are national BLS figures. The California profession figures in the Pay Gap Lookup are modeled estimates and are labeled that way.