Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/ Title: L&D Designer hourly rate in California | Deftridge Summary: Learning & Development Designer pay in California: median wage $58 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $95. Free for professionals. CA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Learning & Development Designer hourly rate in California The market median wage for a Learning & Development Designer in California is **$57.51 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$95 an hour** on Deftridge, +27% against the United States rate. **$95/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$57.51/hr** median wage **$39-80** middle half of wages **$2,060** a month at 5 hours a week ## Learning & Development Designer wage percentiles in California Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median. | Percentile | Per hour | 5 h a week, per month | Full time, per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10th | $30.95 | $670 | $64,400 | | 25th | $39.01 | $850 | $81,100 | | Median | $57.51 | $1,250 | $119,600 | | 75th | $80.24 | $1,740 | $166,900 | | 90th | $107.16 | $2,320 | $222,900 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 44,750 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## California in numbers What sets California apart for a Learning & Development Designer, from the same sources as the table above. - **+29%** median wage against the United States median of $44.50 - **3rd of 51** states by median wage for this role - **44,750** people employed in the role in this place - **$76.91** median wage in the San Jose metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for a Learning & Development Designer in California by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown. | Level | Per hour | Per month at 5 h/week | | --- | --- | --- | | Senior | $95 | $2,060 | | Manager | $115 | $2,490 | - One-off task **$95** - Task bundle **$85** ## Learning & Development Designer pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior Learning & Development Designer, highest first; 6 of 51 places shown. By median wage California ranks **3 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | District of Columbia | $59.05 | $95 | | Wyoming | $58.34 | $95 | | California | $57.51 | $95 | | Washington | $55.53 | $90 | | Delaware | $55.46 | $90 | | Alaska | $52.44 | $85 | ## Metro areas in California Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [San Jose $76.91/hr median wage · range $56-107](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [San Francisco $72.86/hr median wage · range $47-100](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Los Angeles $57.85/hr median wage · range $39-79](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [San Luis Obispo $56.15/hr median wage · range $36-95](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Sacramento $56.08/hr median wage · range $39-76](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Modesto $54.61/hr median wage · range $35-85](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Salinas $53.15/hr median wage · range $36-73](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Santa Cruz $52.83/hr median wage · range $38-74](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Napa $52.64/hr median wage · range $39-77](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) - [Vallejo $52.39/hr median wage · range $37-78](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/california/) ## Questions about pay, fees and privacy The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: [Pricing](https://deftridge.com/pricing/) explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; [How it works](https://deftridge.com/how-it-works/) covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job. [Learning & Development Designer rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/learning-designer/) · [Learning & Development Designer jobs in California](https://deftridge.com/jobs/learning-designer/california/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)