Highest Paying Jobs In Oakland, CA For 2026

As of 2026, Oakland boasts a diverse array of high-paying job opportunities across various sectors, including healthcare, technology, and finance. If you’re seeking a lucrative career in the Oakland area, this updated list will assist you in identifying the best-compensated professions currently available.

This article highlights the 24 highest-paying jobs in Oakland for 2026, utilizing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While many of these positions demand extensive experience, there are also attractive entry-level roles for candidates with the appropriate educational qualifications.

Currently, the top-paying job in Oakland is Psychiatrist, offering an average annual salary of $272,519, with entry-level positions starting at $155,000.

Whether you are contemplating a career transition, considering relocating to Oakland, or are a recent graduate mapping out your future, this guide to the highest-paying jobs and most rewarding industries in Oakland can help inform your next steps.

Below is a glance at the top 10 highest-paying jobs in Oakland, California:

Psychiatrist – $272,519
Group Creative Director – $256,109
Clinical Sciences Professor – $245,776
Chief Medical Officer – $241,957
Medical Director – $241,874
Vice President/Managing Director – $238,673
Physician – $231,558
Senior Vice President – $231,373
Internal Medicine Physician – $220,021
Senior Director, Product – $216,459

Detailed List of Highest Paying Jobs in Oakland

Rank	Job Title	Average Salary	Entry Level Salary
1	Psychiatrist	$272,519	$155,000
2	Group Creative Director	$256,109	$137,000
3	Clinical Sciences Professor	$245,776	$133,000
4	Chief Medical Officer	$241,957	$152,000
5	Medical Director	$241,874	$156,000
6	Vice President/Managing Director	$238,673	$146,000
7	Physician	$231,558	$127,000
8	Senior Vice President	$231,373	$141,000
9	Internal Medicine Physician	$220,021	$131,000
10	Senior Director, Product	$216,459	$156,000
11	Staff Physician	$215,804	$126,000
12	Director Of Software Development	$212,264	$142,000
13	Vice President-Products	$206,465	$128,000
14	Vice President Of Engineering	$200,862	$122,000
15	Marketing Vice President	$200,385	$132,000
16	College President	$199,642	$106,000
17	Engineering Director	$197,530	$129,000
18	Senior Software Engineer Manager	$197,296	$137,000
19	Product Management Director	$196,396	$140,000
20	Chief Executive Officer	$195,187	$110,000
21	Director Project Management Office	$191,181	$121,000
22	Human Resources Vice President	$190,966	$128,000
23	Chief Strategy Officer	$190,664	$116,000
24	Senior Software Manager	$189,813	$133,000

How We Determined the Highest Paid Jobs in Oakland for 2026

To identify the highest-paying jobs in Oakland, we analyzed the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and additional reputable sources.

Zippia’s data science team enhances this data by continuously scanning millions of job postings daily to extract published salary information. We correlate these salaries with companies, locations, and job titles across various datasets.

Finally, we calculate a weighted average of these inputs to provide a reliable estimate of salaries for specific job titles in Oakland.

In total, the team reviewed salary data for over 1,000 job titles in Oakland to pinpoint the highest-paying opportunities.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for 2026. This marks our eighth annual ranking of the highest paying jobs in Oakland.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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