Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/ Title: Project Manager hourly rate in California, 2026 | Deftridge Summary: Project Manager pay in California: median wage $74 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $105. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. CA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Project Manager hourly rate in California The market median wage for a Project Manager in California is **$73.82 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$105 an hour** on Deftridge, +24% against the United States rate. **$105/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$73.82/hr** median wage **$55-96** middle half of wages **$2,280** a month at 5 hours a week ## Project Manager 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 | $43.22 | $940 | $89,900 | | 25th | $54.78 | $1,190 | $113,900 | | Median | $73.82 | $1,600 | $153,500 | | 75th | $96.46 | $2,090 | $200,600 | | 90th | $118.23 | $2,560 | $245,900 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 113,980 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## California in numbers What sets California apart for a Project Manager, from the same sources as the table above. - **+28%** median wage against the United States median of $57.68 - **1st of 51** states by median wage for this role - **113,980** people employed in the role in this place - **$90.36** 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 Project Manager 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 | $105 | $2,280 | | Manager | $130 | $2,820 | - Regular role **$105** - One-off task **$120** - Task bundle **$110** ## Project Manager pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior Project Manager, highest first; 4 of 51 places shown. By median wage California ranks **1 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | California | $73.82 | $105 | | Delaware | $67.22 | $95 | | Washington | $65.92 | $95 | | New York | $65.42 | $95 | ## Metro areas in California Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [San Jose $90.36/hr median wage · range $69-117](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [San Francisco $87.90/hr median wage · range $67-112](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Sacramento $78.40/hr median wage · range $57-95](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Hanford $72.76/hr median wage · range $55-86](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Vallejo $72.06/hr median wage · range $54-92](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [San Diego $71.55/hr median wage · range $54-90](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Santa Maria $71.01/hr median wage · range $54-88](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Napa $70.79/hr median wage · range $57-90](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Santa Rosa $70.19/hr median wage · range $55-93](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/california/) - [Los Angeles $68.86/hr median wage · range $52-89](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/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. [Project Manager rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/project-manager/) · [Project Manager jobs in California](https://deftridge.com/jobs/project-manager/california/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)