Surgeon salary in California
Open surgeon jobs in California post a median of $195.58 an hour, the middle half $173.95–$221.95 (about $406,800 a year full time), $16.92 below the national posted median. From 40 jobs at 5 employers that state their pay.
- 25th percentile$173.95/hr
- Median (50th)$195.58/hr
- 75th percentile$221.95/hr
- Distinct posted rates40
- Jobs stating an hourly rate40
- Employers5
The median is the middle of the 40 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $173.95–$221.95 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$173.95/hr
- Median (50th)$195.58/hr
- 75th percentile$221.95/hr
- Distinct posted rates40
- Jobs stating an hourly rate40
- Employers5
The median is the middle of the 40 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $173.95–$221.95 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted per hour$195.58
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- A year, full time$406,800
40 hours a week for 52 weeks, to the nearest $100. An estimate from the hourly rate: no job states it.
- 10th percentile$42.66/hr
- 25th percentile$61.86/hr
- Median$63.46/hr
- 75th percentile$188.62/hr
- 90th percentile$228.52/hr
Surgeons, All Other (SOC 29-1249), all industries, California: the hourly wages BLS measured people employed in it earn, not read from open jobs. Measured and published by BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (source: BLS OEWS May 2025, Surgeons, All Other, California).
The jobs themselves: Surgeon jobs in California · Surgeon pay nationwide
What surgeons are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $195.58 an hour. Middle half $173.95 to $221.95. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 40 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $195.58. 26% of the 152 open surgeon jobs in California state an hourly rate.
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Surgeon pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $184.47 | $169.33–$200.77 | 6 (1) |
| Lancaster | $156.06 | $154.33–$197.31 | 3 (1) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Surgeon pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for surgeons here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for surgeons nationwide when it has such a page.
Jobs that state a yearly salary
Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.
64 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $531,500, the middle half $447,000 to $602,000.
Best-paid open surgeon jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.
$270.54–$281.37/hr
$250–$300/hr- $225–$325/hr
$258.17–$273.17/hr- $236.25–$245.48/hr
- $220.64/hr
$170–$200/hr
$100–$120/hr
What BLS measures in California
What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.
| BLS occupation | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other (29-1249) | $42.66 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgeons, All Other) | $61.86 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgeons, All Other) | $63.46 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgeons, All Other) | $188.62 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgeons, All Other) | $228.52 (source: BLS OEWS, Surgeons, All Other) | n/a |
BLS median by metro area
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CAn/a
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$257.60/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA)
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$38.82/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA)
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CAn/a
Surgeon salary in California: common questions
How much does a surgeon make in California?
Open surgeon jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $195.58, the middle half $173.95–$221.95 (40 jobs from 5 employers). Full time that is about $406,800 a year. BLS measured a median of $63.46/hr ($131,990 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).
Where in California do surgeons earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Los Angeles ($184.47) and Lancaster ($156.06). The town table lists 2.
Which employers in California pay surgeons the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Southern California Permanente Medical Group ($195.58) and Weatherby Healthcare ($193.75).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($195.58) is $16.92 below the national posted median of $212.50. In the BLS survey California ranks 34 of 34 by median wage.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 40 of 152 open surgeon jobs in California (26%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own careers site, published 9 Nov 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgeons, All Other (SOC 29-1249), every state, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric (SOC 29-1242), every state, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric (SOC 29-1241), every state, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgeons, All Other, national, published 15 May 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Surgeons, All Other by metropolitan area, published 15 May 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Surgeon salary in California. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/surgeon/california