Program manager salary in California
In California, space employers offer program and project managers a median of $161k a year, the middle half $135k–$194k $500 below the national posted median. From 138 jobs at 37 employers that name a salary in their postings.
- 25th percentile$135,000/hr
- Median (50th)$161,000/hr
- 75th percentile$193,687.50/hr
- Distinct posted rates138
- Jobs stating an hourly rate138
- Employers37
The median is the middle of the 138 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $135,000–$193,687.50 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$135,000/hr
- Median (50th)$161,000/hr
- 75th percentile$193,687.50/hr
- Distinct posted rates138
- Jobs stating an hourly rate138
- Employers37
The median is the middle of the 138 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $135,000–$193,687.50 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 pay, a year$161,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$77.40/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- Lockheed Martin23 jobs
- Viasat12 jobs
- Rocket Lab10 jobs
- Muon Space7 jobs
- Northrop Grumman7 jobs
- K2 Space7 jobs
- Voyager Technologies6 jobs
- SpaceX6 jobs
- Relativity Space5 jobs
- Impulse Space5 jobs
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 88 at the 10 shown and 50 at 27 other employers, 138 in all.
The jobs themselves: Program manager jobs in California · Program manager pay nationwide
What program and project managers are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting pay in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $161k a year. Middle half $135k to $194k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 138 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $161k. 90% of the 153 open program manager jobs in California state pay.
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Program manager pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state pay, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale | $157k | $55.7k–$381k | 23 (1) |
| Long Beach | $160k | $96k–$263k | 19 (4) |
| El Segundo | $142k | $77.6k–$277k | 16 (7) |
| Carlsbad | $190k | $94.5k–$336k | 12 (1) |
| Los Angeles | $174k | $110k–$250k | 11 (4) |
| San Jose | $219k | $180k–$250k | 8 (2) |
| Hawthorne | $128k | $85k–$190k | 8 (3) |
| Redondo Beach | $166k | $75.8k–$235k | 7 (2) |
| Folsom | $158k | $82.5k–$225k | 6 (1) |
| San Diego | $186k | $133k–$323k | 4 (3) |
| Costa Mesa | $174k | $132k–$222k | 4 (1) |
| Burlingame | $140k | $110k–$175k | 3 (1) |
| Vandenberg AFB | $127k | $77.6k–$176k | 3 (2) |
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.
Program manager pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for program and project managers 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 program and project managers nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open program manager jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest pay figures tonight, at most two from one employer.
$182,500–$381,300/yr
$230,398–$322,557/yr
$212,500–$335,500/yr
$184,000–$341,500/yr
$193,000–$289,600/yr- $193,000–$289,600/yr
$227,000–$250,000/yr
$225,000–$250,000/yr- $180,500–$285,000/yr
- $158,700–$294,700/yr
$175,500–$263,250/yr- $206,000–$232,000/yr
Program manager salary in California: common questions
How much does a program manager make in California?
Open program manager jobs in California that state pay post a median of $161k, the middle half $135k–$194k (138 jobs from 37 employers).
Where in California do program and project managers earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Sunnyvale ($157k), Long Beach ($160k), El Segundo ($142k) and Carlsbad ($190k). The town table lists 13.
Which employers in California pay program and project managers the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Muon Space ($219k), Northrop Grumman ($190k) and Viasat ($190k).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($161k) is $500 below the national posted median of $162k.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 138 of 153 open program manager jobs in California (90%) state pay. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Program manager pay in other states
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Program manager salary in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/program-managers/california