The average salary for a computer scientist in California is around $159,100 per year.
Avg Salary
Computer scientists earn an average yearly salary of $159,100.
Wages typically start from $88,920 and go up to $275,320.
107% above national average Updated in 2025
Computer scientist earnings by seniority
Top-level computer scientist earnings begin at:
$132.36 per hour
$275,320 per year
Senior-level computer scientist earnings begin at:
$102.71 per hour
$213,630 per year
Mid-level computer scientist earnings begin at:
$76.49 per hour
$159,100 per year
Junior-level computer scientist earnings begin at:
$53.93 per hour
$112,170 per year
Starting level computer scientist earnings begin at:
$42.75 per hour
$88,920 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Computer scientist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Utah | $94,700 |
| Oklahoma | $93,100 |
| Georgia | $92,250 |
| Indiana | $85,460 |
| Michigan | $82,590 |
| Oregon | $206,220 |
| Washington | $202,400 |
| New York | $181,990 |
| Massachusetts | $170,510 |
| New Mexico | $165,690 |
| California | $159,100 |
| Virginia | $157,390 |
| Maryland | $145,310 |
| District of Columbia | $144,190 |
| New Jersey | $140,840 |
| Illinois | $136,540 |
| New Hampshire | $136,160 |
| Minnesota | $135,850 |
| Ohio | $135,510 |
| Hawaii | $134,350 |
| Nevada | $134,310 |
| Colorado | $133,160 |
| Connecticut | $131,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,300 |
| Arizona | $129,760 |
| North Carolina | $128,370 |
| Missouri | $127,820 |
| South Carolina | $126,980 |
| Rhode Island | $121,470 |
| Texas | $121,210 |
| Florida | $119,810 |
| Alabama | $117,870 |
| Louisiana | $115,210 |
| Mississippi | $109,050 |
| Tennessee | $108,830 |
How do computer scientist salaries compare to similar careers?
Computer scientists earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than software engineers but more than information security analysts.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Software engineer salary | $174K |
| Computer and information research scientist salary | $159K |
| Computer scientist salary | $159K |
| Network architect salary | $159K |
| Electrical engineer salary | $144K |
| Information security analyst salary | $139K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)