Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Metropolitan Area · 2024 BLS OEWS data · California statewide data
$62,520
Median Annual Wage
+32% since 2014
$66,420
California Median
-6% vs state
83,960
Total Workers
319
Occupations Tracked
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is a Metropolitan Area with 319 tracked occupations and an estimated 83,960 total workers. Wages grew an average of 42.7% from 2014 to 2024, with Legal Occupations and Management Occupations offering the highest median salaries.
Wages by Occupation Group
Top Occupations
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $214,680 |
| Dentists, General | $202,520 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $195,970 |
| Lawyers | $192,800 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $191,880 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $190,590 |
| Registered Nurses | $178,900 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $174,700 |
| Human Resources Managers | $164,790 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $164,620 |
Job Market Trends
2014 → 2024
+42.7%
avg wage growth since 2014
+8.3%
employment change since 2014
Fastest Wage Growth
| Production Workers, All Other Production Occupations |
+129.2%
$19,150 → $43,900
|
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Production Occupations |
+126.3%
$20,730 → $46,910
|
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Production Occupations |
+122.7%
$20,700 → $46,100
|
| Food Service Managers Management Occupations |
+120.2%
$34,580 → $76,140
|
| Procurement Clerks Office and Administrative Support Occupations |
+120.0%
$26,200 → $57,630
|
Most Jobs Added
| Mechanical Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations |
+400.0%
40 → 200
|
| Personal Financial Advisors Business and Financial Operations Occupations |
+200.0%
30 → 100
|
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Community and Social Service Occupations |
+200.0%
130 → 470
|
| Self-Enrichment Teachers Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
+200.0%
140 → 510
|
| Nurse Practitioners Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations |
+200.0%
60 → 180
|
Wage Declines
| Counselors, All Other Community and Social Service Occupations |
-14.0%
$60,730 → $52,200
|
| Financial Specialists, All Other Business and Financial Operations Occupations |
-12.0%
$67,740 → $59,640
|
| Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other Community and Social Service Occupations |
-10.2%
$68,960 → $61,910
|
| Insurance Sales Agents Sales and Related Occupations |
-7.4%
$65,230 → $60,380
|
| Training and Development Specialists Business and Financial Operations Occupations |
-4.3%
$70,000 → $66,990
|
Wage Trends in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
View data table
| Year | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| 2024 latest | $62,520 |
| 2023 | $61,890 |
| 2022 | $59,550 |
| 2021 | $59,780 |
| 2020 | $53,420 |
| 2019 | $49,495 |
| 2018 | $53,040 |
| 2017 | $48,970 |
| 2016 | $49,265 |
| 2015 | $46,660 |
| 2014 | $47,540 |