Program Writer Salary in California
$28.1K - $38K
3% of jobs
$38K - $47.9K
7% of jobs
$47.9K - $57.7K
12% of jobs
$59.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$57.7K - $67.6K
16% of jobs
The median wage is $74.9K / yr.
$67.6K - $77.5K
17% of jobs
$77.5K - $87.3K
14% of jobs
$93.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$87.3K - $97.2K
11% of jobs
$97.2K - $107.1K
9% of jobs
$107.1K - $116.9K
6% of jobs
$116.9K - $126.8K
3% of jobs
$126.8K - $136.7K
3% of jobs
$28.1K
$75K
$135.7K
$79,940
/year
$38.43
/hour
Program Writer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$81,001
California
California
$79,940
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How much does a Program Writer make in California?
As of Aug 16, 2026, the average annual pay for a Program Writer in California is $79,940 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $38.43 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,537/week or $6,661/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $135,699 and as low as $28,127, the majority of Program Writer salaries currently range between $59,200 (25th percentile) to $96,700 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $118,922 annually in California. The average pay range for a Program Writer varies greatly (by as much as 37500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Program Writer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Program Writer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Program Writer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Program Writer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Program Writer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Cupertino, , with Berkeley, and Mountain View, close behind in the second and third positions. Mountain View, beats the average in California by $15,566 (19.5%), and Cupertino, furthers that trend with another $19,994 (25.0%) above the $79,940 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Program Writer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Cupertino, and Santa Cruz, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Program Writer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Cupertino | $99,934 | $48.05 |
Berkeley | $96,936 | $46.60 |
Mountain View | $95,506 | $45.92 |
San Francisco | $95,433 | $45.88 |
Santa Clara | $95,100 | $45.72 |
Sunnyvale | $95,067 | $45.71 |
San Jose | $94,932 | $45.64 |
Oakland | $94,570 | $45.47 |
Daly City | $93,716 | $45.06 |
Santa Cruz | $93,458 | $44.93 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Program Writer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Program Writer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $79940 state average for Program Writer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Policy Writer | $103,388 | $49.71 |
Scientific Writer | $69,576 | $33.45 |
Manager Writer | $58,746 | $28.24 |
Curriculum Writer | $55,175 | $26.53 |
Writer | $28,126 | $13.52 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
