Average Salaries in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Explore salaries across 334 occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $80.7K, +22.7% 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 2025 estimates. Coverage: 334 occupations and 92,250 total jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.
How the metro compares
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal Medicine Physicians. 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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.
Highest-paid occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $431K | N/A |
| Physicians, All Other | $305.6K | 190 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $291.9K | N/A |
| Chief Executives | $209.1K | 220 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $206.9K | 80 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $202.4K | 80 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $198.8K | 260 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $182.8K | 30 |
| Fundraising Managers | $179.1K | 30 |
| Dentists, General | $176K | 90 |
Largest occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 4,470 | $34.3K |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,360 | $41K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 3,220 | $43.4K |
| Cashiers | 2,530 | $37.4K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,430 | $38.6K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,770 | $105.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 1,750 | $171K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,640 | $35.9K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,510 | $40.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,250 | $38.7K |
What Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Acupuncturists | 9.86 | $91.4K |
| Stonemasons | 8.85 | $59.6K |
| Plasterers And Stucco Masons | 8.29 | $68.2K |
| Anthropologists And Archeologists | 7.87 | $66K |
| Psychiatric Aides | 7.13 | N/A |
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | 6.09 | $75.7K |
| Museum Technicians And Conservators | 4.00 | $75.1K |
| Bus Drivers, Transit And Intercity | 3.69 | $57.8K |
| Musicians And Singers | 3.65 | N/A |
| Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, And Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 3.43 | $40K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, 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.