12.6% higher than the US national median ($94,162)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Financial Examiners salary in California in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$67K
P25$80K
P50$106K
P75$135K
P90$175K
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $105,997 to $135,117 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Financial Examiners pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 4.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 3.1 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Financial Examiners in California is $105,997 per year ($50.96/hr). This is 12.6% higher than the national median of $94,162.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$32.06
$66,685
+18.6%
P25
$38.52
$80,122
+13.4%
P50MEDIAN
$50.96
$105,997
+12.6%
P75
$64.96
$135,117
+4.3%
P90Top earners
$84.20
$175,136
+0.5%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Financial Examiners
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+18.5%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
65K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
21% from new growth79% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
NAICS 5220A1
27K
$79,660
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
NAICS 523000
11K
$124,380
Wage range across top 5 industries: $79,660 to $124,380 (56% spread)
See the complete picture
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median financial examiners salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Financial Examiners in California is approximately $105,997, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 12.6% higher than the national median of $94,162. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
