Average Salaries in Salinas, CA
Explore salaries across 378 occupations in Salinas, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $72.1K, +17.1% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 378 occupations and 177,290 total jobs in Salinas, CA.
How the metro compares
Salinas, CA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Salinas, CA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Psychiatrists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Salinas, CA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Salinas, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $225.3K | 40 |
| Chief Executives | $221.1K | 240 |
| Physicians, All Other | $198.1K | 140 |
| Dentists, General | $175.9K | 160 |
| Pharmacists | $169.1K | 260 |
| Veterinarians | $168.3K | 90 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $168.3K | 140 |
| Lawyers | $167.7K | 390 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $166.4K | 70 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $163.9K | 210 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Salinas, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 28,120 | $37.4K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 6,410 | $33.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,400 | $37.4K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 4,300 | $36.5K |
| Cashiers | 3,990 | $36.5K |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,560 | $37.0K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 3,460 | $35.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 3,060 | $135.1K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,760 | $48.6K |
| Packers And Packagers, Hand | 2,450 | $35.5K |
What Salinas, CA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Salinas, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Salinas, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 89.02 | $37.4K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 34.15 | $59.2K |
| Graders And Sorters, Agricultural Products | 20.18 | $36.6K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 19.59 | $40.6K |
| Teachers And Instructors, All Other | 14.84 | $110.8K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 12.38 | $122.8K |
| Interpreters And Translators | 11.86 | $80.1K |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 11.85 | $38.3K |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics And Service Technicians | 7.82 | $46.8K |
| Media And Communication Equipment Workers, All Other | 5.00 | $99.3K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Salinas, CA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.