Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Across all occupations in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, the median wage is $54,730 a year ($26.31 an hour) and the mean $73,140, May 2025. That median is +7% against the US median of $50,980 and −6% against California's $58,240. BLS counts 98,500 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is general internal medicine physicians; the largest is home health and personal care aides.
All occupations: Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA vs California and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | Hourly | $17.46 | $19.25 | $26.31 | $39.87 | $63.94 | $35.16 | 98,500 |
| Annual | $36,330 | $40,040 | $54,730 | $82,920 | $132,990 | $73,140 | ||
| California | Hourly | $17.28 | $20.00 | $28.00 | $47.06 | $76.48 | $38.79 | 18,213,700 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $41,600 | $58,240 | $97,880 | $159,080 | $80,690 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
328 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: California. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $430,970 | $207.20 | ** |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $305,610 | $146.93 | 190 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $291,880 | $140.33 | ** |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $209,080 | $100.52 | 220 |
| 5 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $206,880 | $99.46 | 80 |
| 6 | Natural Sciences Managers | $202,380 | $97.30 | 80 |
| 7 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in California | $198,770 | $95.56 | 260 |
| 8 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $182,840 | $87.90 | 30 |
| 9 | Fundraising Managers | $179,130 | $86.12 | 30 |
| 10 | Dentists, General | $175,950 | $84.59 | 90 |
| 11 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $172,590 | $82.98 | 70 |
| 12 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $172,410 | $82.89 | 50 |
| 13 | Registered Nurses in California | $170,960 | $82.19 | 1,750 |
| 14 | Managers, All Other in California | $170,650 | $82.04 | 350 |
| 15 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $169,370 | $81.43 | 80 |
| 16 | Marketing Managers | $168,980 | $81.24 | 150 |
| 17 | Nurse Practitioners | $167,190 | $80.38 | 190 |
| 18 | Financial Managers in California | $165,800 | $79.71 | 400 |
| 19 | Veterinarians | $164,820 | $79.24 | 130 |
| 20 | Lawyers in California | $164,790 | $79.23 | 350 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Most concentrated occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | 8.29 | 100 | 1.03 | $68,210 |
| 2 | Psychiatric Aides | 7.13 | 160 | 1.63 | * |
| 3 | Special Education Teachers, All Other | 6.09 | 130 | 1.33 | $75,710 |
| 4 | Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | 3.69 | 370 | 3.78 | $57,780 |
| 5 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 3.43 | 340 | 3.48 | $39,970 |
| 6 | Urban and Regional Planners | 3.41 | 100 | 0.97 | $112,270 |
| 7 | Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | 3.27 | 230 | 2.36 | $79,480 |
| 8 | Tree Trimmers and Pruners | 3.26 | 110 | 1.16 | $47,720 |
| 9 | Substitute Teachers, Short-Term | 3.22 | 1,070 | 10.85 | $59,900 |
| 9 | Physical Therapist Aides | 3.22 | 100 | 1.00 | $39,210 |
Occupation groups in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Engineering | $130,220 | $133,220 | 1,460 | 14.79 | 0.88 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $128,140 | $142,490 | 5,560 | 56.48 | 0.89 |
| Management | $126,180 | $142,890 | 6,660 | 67.62 | 0.94 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $124,920 | $125,790 | 2,160 | 21.97 | 0.65 |
| Legal | $99,880 | $129,400 | 660 | 6.72 | 0.80 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $99,010 | $105,040 | 1,240 | 12.57 | 1.33 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $84,580 | $95,310 | 5,260 | 53.39 | 0.79 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $67,320 | $82,200 | 1,300 | 13.20 | 1.00 |
| Construction and Extraction | $66,540 | $73,550 | 3,820 | 38.81 | 0.94 |
| Community and Social Service | $64,130 | $71,670 | 2,950 | 29.91 | 1.74 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $62,230 | $77,110 | 6,930 | 70.33 | 1.20 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,260 | $66,380 | 2,860 | 29.06 | 0.74 |
| Protective Service | $59,680 | $75,130 | 2,090 | 21.18 | 0.87 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $51,600 | $57,290 | 11,810 | 119.91 | 1.05 |
| Production | $47,590 | $54,540 | 3,560 | 36.12 | 0.66 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,940 | $51,800 | 5,990 | 60.78 | 0.69 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $45,230 | $48,010 | 3,880 | 39.37 | 1.35 |
| Sales and Related | $42,150 | $53,400 | 8,480 | 86.06 | 1.00 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $40,020 | $43,750 | 11,210 | 113.85 | 1.29 |
| Healthcare Support | $39,860 | $45,540 | 7,220 | 73.27 | 1.44 |
| Personal Care and Service | $38,510 | $47,140 | 2,750 | 27.96 | 1.34 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $37,490 | $41,850 | 660 | 6.67 | 2.38 |
Every occupation in California, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 328 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA estimates (area 42100).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.