Entry-level Economics Professor salary in Los Angeles, CA

Based on 23 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Claremont, Pasadena, Northridge, Long Beach, Irvine.

Also listed as: Assistant Professor of Economics, Assistant Professor Economics

Median salary$129,699
Middle 50%$88.7k–$173.3k
vs. all levels here+3%comparison median $125,688
Filings23FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $85,500 and $254,594.
PercentileSalary
10th$88,660
25th$88,660
50th (median)$129,699
75th$173,300
90th$210,300

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $135k $180k FY2020: median $163,500 (13 filings) FY2023: median $160,000 (11 filings) FY2025: median $100,600 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 13 filings FY20 FY2021: 9 filings FY21 FY2022: 8 filings FY22 FY2023: 11 filings FY23 FY2024: 7 filings FY24 FY2025: 14 filings FY25 FY2026: 9 filings FY26 14
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$163,500$95,000$186,00013
FY2021–––9
FY2022–––8
FY2023$160,000$107,750$191,20011
FY2024–––7
FY2025$100,600$88,660$133,67514
FY2026–––9

Cost of living

Los Angeles's median entry-level Economics Professor salary of $129,699 is worth about $114,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $137,740 in May 2025 (250 employed). The H-1B median here is $129,699, 6% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
The University of Southern Californiatoo few9
University of California, Los Angelestoo few5
Loyola Marymount Universitytoo few3
Claremont McKenna Collegetoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $129,699 23
Mid-level · Level II too few 2
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$88,660$129,69923

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.