How much money do you need to live comfortably in Los Angeles? (2024)

FAQs

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Los Angeles? ›

As a rule of thumb, a good salary in Los Angeles is between $100k and $200k gross per year. Based on the cost of living in Los Angeles, this should come down to a minimum of $76,710 yearly after taxes.

According to the study, a Los Angeles resident without children would need to make $76,710 after taxes to live comfortably.

Meanwhile, a single working adult should bring in at least $30 an hour, or an annual income of $61,400, to comfortably live alone in the county.

If you are a single person in Los Angeles making around $70,000 a year, you are still considered low-income, according to a new statewide study. The California Department of Housing and Community Development released the report in June and found that income limits have increased in most counties across California.

If you're single, an average lifestyle. If that's a household income for several people and children, you will be tight on funds.

Living in L.A. on a Budget Is Possible!

Will it take a little extra time and effort? Yes. But choosing your neighborhood wisely, being frugal with your entertainment choices, and living with roommates can all help you keep your bank account in check while you live in Los Angeles.

California ranks number 27 out of 50 states nationwide for $100 An Hour job salaries. To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for $100 An Hour jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

If you make $25 an hour, your yearly salary would be $52,000.

Is 100k a year enough in LA? ›

But the data on page 8 of the 2023 State Income Limits paper rocked the region: It stated that a family of four earning less than $100,900 a year in Los Angeles County was classified as low-income. Earn six figures in most cities, and you're living large. But here, you may well be scraping by.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $73,525 and as low as $66,123, the majority of $75000 salaries currently range between $68,600 (25th percentile) to $71,600 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $72,537 annually in California.

Here's Where $100,000 Gets You the Least

Out of the 10 cities where $100,000 gets you the least after taxes and after adjusting for cost of living, you'll find five California cities, and several of those are in Southern California. Los Angeles and Long Beach are tied for the bottom No. 5 spot.

A $200,000 a year salary is downright middle class if you're living in a big city like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., or San Diego.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $344,198 and as low as $31,825, the majority of 250K salaries currently range between $196,825 (25th percentile) to $244,807 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $285,445 annually in California.