5 JOBS WITH GREAT PAY IN CALIFORNIA

California Great Paying Jobs

• Information Technology Manager
• Economist
• Health Specialties Professor
• Film Producer
• Sales Engineer

The "Golden State" has the United States' highest density of millionaire households at 772,555, so it's not shocking that many California jobs reap great pay potential. California's $2.603 trillion GDP ranks sixth among the world's economies with 2.9 percent growth in 2016. Government, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, international trade, and energy are significant sectors for Californians. According to the LA Times, the Fortune 500 ranking has 53 California companies, including Wells Fargo, Apple, McKesson, Alphabet, Disney, and Gilead Sciences. California has a mammoth workforce of 15.966 million people making an average annual wage of $56,840. Using BLS data, we've found the following five in-demand jobs in California where the mean salaries are more than doubled.

1. Information Technology Manager

Information technology managers are upper-level computer wizards who direct IT staff and design corporate networks to ensure the organization's digital needs are met. The 51,840 IT managers in California are employed primarily with computer systems design, finance, manufacturing, and software publishing firms. Most IT management jobs will require a bachelor's degree with 5+ years of tech experience. Demand for information technology managers will spark 15 percent growth by 2024 for Californians to make $169,420 on average.

Recommended: 50 Best Value Colleges and Universities in California

2. Economist

Economists are inquisitive social scientists who study the global market to track the production and distribution of goods or services to form policies that spark economic growth. Economists hold 1,540 jobs in California for the federal government, corporations, research firms, and financial institutions. Becoming an economist requires a master's or Ph.D. degree to sharpen the analytical skills used to forecast market trends. Economists can expect job growth at 6 percent through 2024 for a mean annual wage of $119,650 in-state.

3. Health Specialties Professor

Health specialties professors are tenured or adjunct faculty who organize curricula for college-level courses in medical fields, such as public health, pharmacy, counseling, and dentistry. In California, there are 12,410 health specialties professors at top-ranked higher learning institutions like Stanford, Loma Linda, UC Berkeley, and USC. University professors generally need a Ph.D. in health specialties to instruct future practitioners. Rising student enrollment in means California health specialties professors will see 13 percent job growth by 2024 for average income at $155,540.

4. Film Producer

Film producers are creative art directors who manage the business of creating entertaining motion pictures by hiring the crew, setting the budget, making set changes, and more. From indie films to Hollywood blockbusters, 28,230 producers work in California to ensure big-screen productions happen without a hitch. Training for film production jobs usually involves a bachelor's or MFA in majors like cinematography. Film producers will benefit from strong job growth at 9 percent and a great average salary of $130,510.

5. Sales Engineer

Sales engineers are technical marketers who use their extensive knowledge of scientific machinery and parts to coordinate high-price purchases. The 11,390 California jobs in sales engineering require a bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited engineering school and confident negotiation skills. Most sales engineers work for merchant wholesalers, manufacturing companies, and computer systems design firms to vend products. For an average salary of $125,400 in California, sales engineers can expect 7 percent job growth over the next decade.

Marin, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Contra Costa rank among America's top 50 wealthiest counties, yet only 7.9 percent of California households make $200,000 or more yearly. Reaching the upper salary echelons often requires significant time spent studying at one of California's 112 four-year colleges or out-of-state. Higher education is worth it for these and other California jobs with great pay like financial manager, obstetrician, judge, computer network architect, materials scientist, and pharmacist.