Operations manager salary in California
The median operations manager in California earns $124,390 a year, or $59.81 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. That is 18% above the national median of $105,770, and 11th of the 54 states and territories BLS publishes.
The middle half of California’s 300,840 operations managers earn between $81,620 and $186,230. The highest paying metro area in the state is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, at $163,860.
Liaison does the routine half of an operations manager’s job for 4% of what one costs in California. See how.
Operations manager salary by city in California
Every metro area in California where BLS publishes a median for operations managers, highest first. A metro that crosses a state line appears under each of its states.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $163,860 | $78.78 | $102,330 to $245,630 | 17,230 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $149,990 | $72.11 | $98,890 to $220,200 | 43,520 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $125,830 | $60.50 | $83,200 to $187,480 | 104,610 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $119,600 | $57.50 | $78,200 to $177,430 | 26,230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $118,460 | $56.95 | $77,800 to $166,050 | 17,980 |
| Vallejo, CA | $114,410 | $55.00 | $78,270 to $170,990 | 2,310 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $111,390 | $53.55 | $75,420 to $166,620 | 3,410 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $109,970 | $52.87 | $78,050 to $165,610 | 4,090 |
| Napa, CA | $106,680 | $51.29 | $81,890 to $167,460 | 1,410 |
| Salinas, CA | $105,680 | $50.81 | $75,020 to $163,870 | 2,600 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $105,360 | $50.65 | $74,670 to $158,060 | 1,770 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $105,040 | $50.50 | $74,880 to $158,670 | 3,800 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $104,730 | $50.35 | $73,480 to $161,150 | 490 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $104,460 | $50.22 | $74,880 to $162,260 | 4,100 |
| Modesto, CA | $104,330 | $50.16 | $73,640 to $161,580 | 2,790 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $103,870 | $49.94 | $74,150 to $160,740 | 5,770 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $102,260 | $49.17 | $73,920 to $157,930 | 23,090 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $101,840 | $48.96 | $73,810 to $156,020 | 2,280 |
| Yuba City, CA | $101,210 | $48.66 | $71,510 to $150,280 | 730 |
| Fresno, CA | $101,010 | $48.56 | $74,590 to $159,990 | 6,800 |
| El Centro, CA | $99,250 | $47.72 | $70,000 to $157,230 | 730 |
| Visalia, CA | $98,600 | $47.40 | $69,270 to $149,050 | 2,080 |
| Redding, CA | $98,510 | $47.36 | $70,030 to $147,910 | 1,240 |
| Chico, CA | $98,390 | $47.30 | $70,550 to $142,050 | 1,260 |
| Merced, CA | $94,990 | $45.67 | $67,120 to $143,420 | 1,020 |
What an operations manager costs an employer in California
Wages are the start. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation), so an operations manager at the California median costs about $167,900 a year. The employer’s view for every state and metro is on what an operations manager costs, and the routine part of the job is what Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
The routine half of an operations manager’s job, for 4% of what one costs in California.
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Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $167,900 a year for an operations manager at the California median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
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Questions
How much does an operations manager make in California?
The median operations manager in California earned $124,390 a year, or $59.81 an hour, in May 2025. The middle half earned between $81,620 and $186,230. Nationally the median is $105,770, so California pays 18% more than the country as a whole.
Which cities in California pay operations managers the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($163,860), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($149,990) and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($125,830).
What does an operations manager cost an employer in California?
Benefits at employers with fewer than 50 workers add 35% on top of wages, so an operations manager at the California median costs about $167,900 a year. The employer’s view is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/operations-manager.
Operations manager salary in other states
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 11-1021. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
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