2026 Central Valley Salary Guide
Clover Search Group is an owner-led direct hire recruiting firm in Lodi, California. These are the pay ranges our recruiters budget against across Stockton-Lodi, Sacramento, Modesto and Fresno — free to read, no form.
Book a Hiring ConsultationPrinted from https://cloversearchgroup.com/central-valley-salary-guide/ — September 2026.
What should we actually be paying for this role?
It is the question we hear most. Job boards and national surveys rarely answer it well — they either skip our region entirely or flatten it into a single, misleading statewide number. So we pulled the most current citable public wage data available and organized it around the six practice areas we search every day.
Primary source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area release — the release the percentile detail here (25th, median, 75th, 90th) was calibrated on. BLS has since published May 2024 and May 2025 metro files; these tables have not yet been rebuilt on them, so read the escalation note alongside every range.
Adjust for time, don’t hide it
The BLS Employment Cost Index for wages and salaries (private industry) rose 3.4% year over year as of both March 2025 and March 2026. Compounding that across the roughly three years from May 2023 to mid-2026 implies the figures here run about 10–11% below current nominal market rates. We have not silently inflated any number — every figure below is the BLS-sourced, May-2023-dollar figure. Adjust upward by roughly 10% for a rough current-year estimate.
Percentile methodology
For every area and occupation cell, the median is a direct BLS statistic. Because BLS suppresses wages at or above $115.00/hour ($239,200/year) for many management occupations, the local 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles are estimated by applying the national percentile-to-median ratio for that occupation to the local median — a standard labor-economics calibration technique, but an estimate, not a direct area-level statistic.
How to read these numbers.
Every cell is flagged. This is not a marketing brochure dressed up as data. Where the numbers are strong, we say so. Where they are estimated or thin — as they genuinely are for Government Affairs — we say that too.
- † Strong
- A direct BLS OEWS MSA-level statistic (median, mean, employment).
- ‡ Estimated
- Calibrated from national percentile ratios applied to the local median.
- $239K+
- Nationally wage-capped by BLS; no local percentile is published above this line.
- Area codes
- SL Stockton-Lodi · SAC Sacramento · MOD Modesto · FRE Fresno · CA California (statewide)
Figures in this guide are estimates drawn from public labor-market data. Actual offers vary with company size, role scope, and equity or bonus structure — use this guide to frame a search budget, not to set a final offer. All dollar figures are annual and rounded to the nearest $1,000.
Technology & IT Leadership
Sacramento’s public-sector IT modernization push and a wave of mid-market companies upgrading legacy systems are driving demand across this practice. Valley employers increasingly compete with Bay Area remote offers — knowing what actually closes a candidate locally is the edge.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $130K‡ | $167K† | $211K‡ | $239K+ |
| SAC | $122K‡ | $157K† | $198K‡ | $239K+ |
| MOD | $127K‡ | $163K† | $206K‡ | $239K+ |
| FRE | $123K‡ | $158K† | $200K‡ | $239K+ |
| CA | $163K‡ | $210K† | $265K‡ | $239K+ |
90th percentile nationally wage-capped by BLS at ≥$239,200/yr; shown as $239K+. Read an IT/Infrastructure Manager at the 25th–median, and an IT Director at the median–75th.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $74K‡ | $99K† | $130K‡ | $164K‡ |
| SAC | $79K‡ | $105K† | $138K‡ | $174K‡ |
| MOD | $74K‡ | $98K† | $129K‡ | $162K‡ |
| FRE | $71K‡ | $94K† | $124K‡ | $156K‡ |
| CA | $81K‡ | $108K† | $142K‡ | $179K‡ |
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $86K‡ | $111K† | $140K‡ | $167K‡ |
| SAC | $102K‡ | $132K† | $167K‡ | $198K‡ |
| MOD | $79K‡ | $103K† | $130K‡ | $155K‡ |
| FRE | $75K‡ | $97K† | $123K‡ | $146K‡ |
| CA | $112K‡ | $145K† | $183K‡ | $218K‡ |
Hiring note
Hybrid and onsite expectations remain the norm in government and ag-adjacent IT roles. Sacramento carries the widest premium over the three San Joaquin Valley metros in this entire dataset for tech talent (Computer Network Architects: +19% to +36%) — budget accordingly if you are recruiting Sacramento-based candidates into a Valley role.
Estimate & context
CIO (smaller org) — no direct BLS occupation code exists. Based on the 90th percentile of 11-3021 and the pattern that a standalone “CIO” title in a $25M–$300M-revenue organization typically commands a 15–30% premium over “IT Director” at the same firm: a directional range of $185K–$260K+ across the four MSAs, higher in Sacramento (state-government-adjacent IT market), lower in Modesto and Fresno. Market-calibrated estimate — not a direct BLS statistic.
Construction & Infrastructure
Housing, logistics, and water and infrastructure work are fueling a Valley and Sacramento construction boom — and a real talent war for superintendents and project managers willing to live locally. This is a practice Aidan knows firsthand.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $82K‡ | $106K† | $137K‡ | $174K‡ |
| SAC | $94K‡ | $121K† | $156K‡ | $198K‡ |
| MOD | $88K‡ | $113K† | $146K‡ | $185K‡ |
| FRE | $82K‡ | $106K† | $137K‡ | $174K‡ |
| CA | $97K‡ | $125K† | $162K‡ | $205K‡ |
Superintendent ≈ 25th–median. Senior Project Manager ≈ median–75th. Project Executive or Director ≈ 75th–90th.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $60K‡ | $79K† | $102K‡ | $132K‡ |
| SAC | $60K‡ | $79K† | $102K‡ | $132K‡ |
| MOD | $60K‡ | $79K† | $102K‡ | $132K‡ |
| FRE | $63K‡ | $82K† | $106K‡ | $137K‡ |
| CA | $63K‡ | $82K† | $106K‡ | $137K‡ |
A Chief Estimator (as opposed to a junior or staff estimator) should be read at the 75th–90th percentile: roughly $102K–$137K depending on metro — likely a conservative floor for a true “chief” role.
Hiring note
Construction Managers and Cost Estimators are both clean, uncapped, well-populated BLS codes across all four MSAs — among the strongest data in this guide. A true principal-level Chief Estimator likely sits above the top of the Cost Estimators band shown here, since that SOC skews junior and mid-level.
Estimate & context
Operations Director in a construction or infrastructure context: see the General & Operations Managers table under Operations, Agriculture & Industrial, read at the 50th–75th percentile band.
Operations, Agriculture & Industrial
Dairy, wine, food processing, packing, and manufacturing are the Valley’s core economy — and its leadership hiring is defined by finding people who can run demanding, often 24/7 operations and actually stay. Family businesses professionalizing their management layer are a steady source of searches here.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $68K‡ | $106K† | $168K‡ | $243K‡ |
| SAC | $75K‡ | $116K† | $184K‡ | $266K‡ |
| MOD | $66K‡ | $103K† | $163K‡ | $237K‡ |
| FRE | $64K‡ | $100K† | $158K‡ | $229K‡ |
| CA | $79K‡ | $122K† | $193K‡ | $280K‡ |
Read a GM at the median. Read an Operations Director at the 75th — typically a step above GM in a $50M+ organization.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th–90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $129K‡ | $204K† | $239K+ | $239K† |
| SAC | $97K‡ | $154K† | $239K+ | $176K† |
| MOD | $133K‡ | $210K† | $239K+ | $239K† |
| FRE | $120K‡ | $190K† | $239K+ | $229K† |
| CA | $146K‡ | $231K† | $239K+ | $281K† |
An all-industry CEO benchmark, not a COO-specific figure. A COO reporting to a CEO or owner at a $20M–$150M Central Valley company typically lands at or below this figure.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $92K‡ | $118K† | $153K‡ | $192K‡ |
| SAC | $100K‡ | $128K† | $165K‡ | $208K‡ |
| MOD | $92K‡ | $118K† | $153K‡ | $192K‡ |
| FRE | $84K‡ | $107K† | $138K‡ | $174K‡ |
| CA | $101K‡ | $129K† | $167K‡ | $210K‡ |
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $77K‡ | $102K† | $133K‡ | $166K‡ |
| SAC | $81K‡ | $107K† | $139K‡ | $174K‡ |
| MOD | $85K‡ | $112K† | $146K‡ | $182K‡ |
| FRE | $81K‡ | $107K† | $139K‡ | $174K‡ |
| CA | $82K‡ | $108K† | $141K‡ | $176K‡ |
Stockton-Lodi, Sacramento and Modesto figures come from small local samples (n=30–50); directionally solid, not precision statistics.
Hiring note
Fresno’s agricultural-manager location quotient is 7.4× the national average — the single strongest labor-market concentration signal in this entire dataset, even though the wage level itself looks unremarkable. Note that Salinas, Napa, and Santa Maria (outside our four MSAs) pay meaningfully more for this occupation, a useful contrast point in candidate conversations.
Sales & Business Development
Revenue leaders who can build real pipelines in relationship-driven markets are in short supply. Across ag, industrial, and construction verticals — where trust sells — the cost of a mis-hired sales leader is steep compared to a search done right.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $71K‡ | $103K† | $150K‡ | $239K+ |
| SAC | $81K‡ | $117K† | $170K‡ | $239K+ |
| MOD | $66K‡ | $96K† | $140K‡ | $239K+ |
| FRE | $66K‡ | $96K† | $140K‡ | $239K+ |
| CA | $91K‡ | $132K† | $192K‡ | $239K+ |
90th percentile nationally wage-capped by BLS at ≥$239,200/yr; shown as $239K+.
Hiring note
National Account Manager is genuinely the weakest-sourced figure in this entire guide: BLS has no distinct code for a senior individual-contributor account role, so the figure below uses the low end of the Sales Managers band as a rough floor only. We recommend supplementing with a secondary source before quoting it to a client.
Estimate & context
Suggested reads. VP Sales (mid-market) — 75th percentile, roughly $140K–$170K depending on metro. Regional Sales Director / Business Development Director — median–75th, roughly $100K–$150K. National Account Manager — 25th–median as a rough floor, $66K–$117K. Secondary calibration: Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide (national, non-BLS) suggests national mid-market VP Sales and Sales Director figures run meaningfully higher than the BLS Sales Managers median above — treat the BLS figures as a floor, not a market rate, for true VP-level hires.
Finance & Administration
Growing Valley companies that outpaced their own systems are the steady driver of this practice — first-CFO hires, controllers ready to become directors, and HR leaders built for a scaling workforce. Ag finance and lending fluency matters more here than almost anywhere else in the Valley.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $103K‡ | $146K† | $197K‡ | $239K+ |
| SAC | $106K‡ | $150K† | $203K‡ | $239K+ |
| MOD | $100K‡ | $141K† | $190K‡ | $239K+ |
| FRE | $93K‡ | $132K† | $178K‡ | $239K+ |
| CA | $120K‡ | $170K† | $230K‡ | $239K+ |
90th percentile nationally wage-capped by BLS at ≥$239,200/yr; shown as $239K+. Controller: 25th–median, roughly $93K–$150K. Director of Finance: median–75th, roughly $132K–$203K. CFO (mid-market): 75th and above, roughly $178K–$230K+ locally.
| Area | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | $105K‡ | $138K† | $184K‡ | $239K+ |
| SAC | $118K‡ | $155K† | $207K‡ | $239K+ |
| MOD | $108K‡ | $143K† | $191K‡ | $239K+ |
| FRE | $100K‡ | $132K† | $176K‡ | $239K+ |
| CA | $127K‡ | $167K† | $223K‡ | $239K+ |
90th percentile nationally wage-capped by BLS at ≥$239,200/yr; shown as $239K+.
Hiring note
Per Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide (national, non-BLS context, not a local statistic): national CFO salaries run $195,500–$321,750, from a low-experience first-time CFO to a high-experience CFO in a new role, with a $269,750 “moderate experience” midpoint. Central Valley mid-market CFO compensation — sub-$100M-revenue private companies, Clover’s target segment — should land toward the lower half of that national band, directionally consistent with the local 75th-percentile BLS figures above once the roughly 10% wage-growth adjustment from the method note is layered in.
Government Affairs & Public Policy
This practice area has the weakest direct BLS fit of the six covered here. No SOC code exists for “government affairs,” “lobbyist,” or “legislative director.” The figures below blend two adjacent, imperfect codes and are presented as directional ranges, not precision benchmarks.
Data caveat — read before use. No dedicated BLS occupation code covers this practice. Stockton-Lodi has no usable local data for three of five roles. Treat every figure in this section as directional. We recommend supplementing this practice with a named-source approach — association executive compensation surveys, for example — before relying on it for a specific offer.
Government Affairs Director / Legislative Director
Closest crosswalk: 11-2032 Public Relations Managers, cross-checked against 19-3094 for Legislative Director
Sacramento: median $137K (a direct BLS statistic), spanning roughly $101K–$195K at the 25th–75th percentile. Modesto: median $154K, but from a small sample (RSE 9.9%) — treat cautiously. Fresno: median $116K, spanning $85K–$165K. California statewide: median $150K, spanning $110K–$214K. Stockton-Lodi: not published, sample suppressed — use the Sacramento or California figure as the best available proxy and disclose the gap to the client.
Senior Lobbyist / Advocate & Policy Director
Closest crosswalk: 19-3094 Political Scientists — California statewide only, no MSA data
California statewide (a state-level statistic): median $119K, spanning $87K–$151K at the 25th–90th percentile. No MSA-level employment was published for this occupation in any of the four target metros — the occupation is too rare locally for BLS disclosure. Sacramento, as the state capital, almost certainly has meaningfully higher concentration and pay than the statewide figure suggests, but no MSA-specific statistic confirms it. Treat the state figure as a floor for Sacramento-based roles.
Association Executive Director
Closest crosswalk: 11-9151 Social & Community Service Managers
Stockton-Lodi: median $73K, spanning $58K–$121K. Sacramento: median $78K, spanning $62K–$129K. Modesto: median $76K, spanning $60K–$126K. Fresno: median suppressed by BLS — mean only, $85K. California statewide: median $79K, spanning $62K–$131K. Caution: this SOC captures nonprofit and social-service program managers broadly, and likely understates pay for an executive director role at a well-funded trade or business association — a regional builders’ exchange or chamber, for example. For larger associations, cross-reference against Chief Executives in the Operations section as an alternate ceiling.
The wider picture.
Four metros, one region, real differences. Sacramento pays a consistent premium over the three San Joaquin Valley metros — typically 10–20% higher at the median. Stockton-Lodi and Modesto trend within 5% of each other across nearly every occupation: a single Northern San Joaquin Valley labor-market tier, distinct from Sacramento. Fresno is consistently the lowest-paying of the four for management and professional occupations, with the notable exception of agricultural management, where its 7.4× location quotient signals a genuinely concentrated core industry.
+2.5%
Fresno MSA employment growth
Past 12 months to July 2026 — the fastest of the four metros tracked in this guide (Stockton-Lodi +1.5%, Modesto +1.1%, Sacramento +0.3%, all positive).
9,100
Nonfarm jobs added in the Fresno MSA
+2.0% May 2025–May 2026, led by private education and health services (+5,700 jobs) — even as the metro’s unemployment rate sat at 7.4% in May 2026. A market with real hiring activity, but a deep enough labor pool that employers retain leverage on comp for non-specialized roles.
3.4%
National wage escalation benchmark
BLS Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, private industry — 12 months ending March 2026, identical to the 12 months ending March 2025. A stable ~3.4%/year rate, useful for adjusting any BLS OEWS dollar figure to current-year terms.
+1.8%
California real wage growth since Jan 2019
Public Policy Institute of California, June 2026: private-sector average hourly wage, inflation-adjusted, as of early 2026 — even as the state unemployment rate climbed to 5.4% by February 2026, from a 3.8% low in summer 2022. Nominal salary numbers are rising; purchasing power has barely moved.
439K+
Additional construction workers needed nationally
Associated Builders and Contractors put the 2025 gap at 439,000 net new workers, easing to about 349,000 in 2026 as spending growth slowed and retirements became the main driver. 66% of California contractors cited demand for skilled labor as a top constraint heading into 2026; 52% of firms still planned to increase hiring despite the shortage.
87%
Finance leaders who pay a premium for specialized skill
Per Robert Half’s 2026 Salary Guide, finance and accounting leaders overwhelmingly pay more for specialized candidates over generalists in the same role — even as national finance and accounting base salaries are projected to rise a modest 2.1% year over year, slower than the ECI figure above, suggesting growth is shifting toward bonus, equity and benefits.
Questions about these numbers.
Are these base salaries or total comp?
Base wage. Every figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release, which measures annual wages — not bonus, equity, or benefits. All dollar figures are annual and rounded to the nearest $1,000. As the guide’s own disclaimer puts it: actual offers vary with company size, role scope, and equity or bonus structure, so use these ranges to frame a search budget, not to set a final offer.
Why do Sacramento ranges differ from Lodi and Stockton?
Because they are genuinely different labor markets. Across every occupation with clean data, Sacramento pays a consistent premium over the three San Joaquin Valley metros — typically 10–20% higher at the median, and as much as +19% to +36% for Computer Network Architects, the widest gap in the dataset. Stockton-Lodi and Modesto trend within 5% of each other across nearly every occupation: one Northern San Joaquin Valley tier, distinct from Sacramento. Fresno is consistently the lowest-paying of the four for management and professional roles, with the notable exception of agricultural management.
How often is this updated?
This page is the 2026 edition, last updated September 2026. This guide is built on the May 2023 release; BLS has since published May 2024 and May 2025 figures, and the escalation note below is how to read these tables against them. The percentile calibration behind every range here was built on the May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area release and has not yet been rebuilt on the newer data. We republish this page when the tables are rebuilt, and we adjust the wage-escalation guidance whenever the Employment Cost Index moves.
Can I get the full PDF?
Yes, and it costs nothing. The PDF carries the same tables plus the practice-by-practice commentary, the market-context spread, and the full methodology write-up. Request it from the salary-guide form on our Employers page and we will email it over. Or just call us at (209) 400-9640 and talk the numbers through — that conversation commits you to nothing.
Want the full PDF?
Same numbers, plus the commentary. The PDF carries every table above alongside the practice-by-practice notes, the market-context spread, and the full methodology write-up — formatted to hand to a board or a hiring committee.