How Much Does an MRI Tech Make in Oakland, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for MRI Techs in Oakland, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area
A typical MRI Tech in Oakland, California earns $70.32 per hour, or $146,260 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $12,188 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $95,580, and the top 10% of earners make over $182,360.
That pay is 18% above the California figure of $124,000 and 53% above the national figure of $95,480. Oakland ranks 3rd of 13 metro areas in California for MRI Tech pay. About 420 MRI Techs work in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area. Oakland is part of the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so San Francisco and Fremont share these figures.
MRI Tech pay in Oakland at a glance
- Typical pay is $70.32 an hour, or $146,260 a year.
- That is 18% above the California figure, ranking 3rd of 13 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $95,580; the top 10% make over $182,360.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +41% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MRI Tech make in Oakland?
Pay in Oakland runs from entry-level positions at around $45.95 an hour to more than $87.68 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
MRI Tech pay by career stage in Oakland
| Career stage | Oakland | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $95,580$45.95 an hour | $74,360$35.75 an hour | $68,890$33.12 an hour |
| First years | $101,400$48.75 an hour | $92,970$44.70 an hour | $81,040$38.96 an hour |
| Typical MRI Tech | $146,260$70.32 an hour | $124,000$59.62 an hour | $95,480$45.91 an hour |
| Experienced | $176,110$84.67 an hour | $151,760$72.96 an hour | $106,340$51.12 an hour |
| Top 10% | $182,360$87.68 an hour | $174,030$83.67 an hour | $127,670$61.38 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area as BLS defines it
MRI Tech pay growth in Oakland
Typical (median) annual wage for MRI Techs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical MRI Tech pay in Oakland was $108,410 a year. By 2025 it had reached $146,260, a change of +35%, compared with +41% for California over the same years.
How Oakland compares with other California cities
Sunnyvale pays MRI Techs the most in California at $176,950 a year, $30,690 more than Oakland. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ventura at $86,050.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Oakland | MRI Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $176,950 | $85.07 | +21% | 220 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $176,650 | $84.93 | +21% | 30 |
| 3 | Oakland metro incl. San Francisco · Fremont | $146,260 | $70.32 | this city | 420 |
| 4 | Folsom metro incl. Sacramento · Roseville | $144,810 | $69.62 | -1% | 220 |
| 5 | Modesto | $126,980 | $61.05 | -13% | 50 |
| 6 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $125,660 | $60.42 | -14% | 30 |
| 7 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $123,080 | $59.17 | -16% | 320 |
| 8 | Anaheim metro incl. Los Angeles · Long Beach | $109,800 | $52.79 | -25% | 1,290 |
| 9 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $108,410 | $52.12 | -26% | 40 |
| 10 | Fresno | $106,710 | $51.30 | -27% | 130 |
| 11 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $106,010 | $50.97 | -28% | 320 |
| 12 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $98,550 | $47.38 | -33% | 60 |
| 13 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $86,050 | $41.37 | -41% | 50 |
Every metro area in California with MRI Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,000
Is Oakland a good place to work as an MRI Tech?
MRI Techs in Oakland earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $146,260 a year, 53% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area, about 0.2 are MRI Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.3. That makes MRI Techs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MRI Tech make in Oakland, CA?
- A typical MRI Tech in Oakland earns $146,260 a year, or $70.32 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $95,580 and the top 10% earn over $182,360.
- How much does an MRI Tech make an hour in Oakland?
- Typical hourly pay for MRI Techs in Oakland is $70.32. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $45.95, and the top 10% earn over $87.68 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MRI Tech in Oakland?
- Entry-level MRI Tech positions in Oakland typically offer around $45.95 an hour, or $95,580 a year.
- Is MRI Tech pay in Oakland higher than in the rest of California?
- Oakland pay is 18% above the California figure of $124,000 a year, ranking 3rd of 13 metro areas in the state. Sunnyvale pays the most in California at $176,950.