May 2025 OEWS · California

Highest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

All-occupations median

$54,730

10th percentile: $36,330
25th percentile: $40,040
Median: $54,730
75th percentile: $82,920
90th percentile: $132,990
Mean: $73,140

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

Employment across all occupations: 98,500.

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for this metro is 109.896, with the United States at 100. Compare prices.

California · What this metro includes

Two cooks working in a commercial kitchen in 1930 — Cooks in a Washington state kitchen, 1930. Seattle Municipal Archives. Photograph by Seattle Municipal Archives. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Highest published annual medians

Detailed occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA with a published annual median, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
General Internal Medicine Physicians	Not available	$105,090	$430,970	$457,570
Physicians, All Other	190	$86,680	$305,610	$454,440
Family Medicine Physicians	Not available	$165,990	$291,880	$446,730
Chief Executives	220	$90,040	$209,080	$442,310
Architectural and Engineering Managers	80	$127,890	$206,880	$283,380
Natural Sciences Managers	80	$125,550	$202,380	$303,550
Computer and Information Systems Managers	260	$126,980	$198,770	$306,260
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	30	$91,950	$182,840	$307,330
Fundraising Managers	30	$93,990	$179,130	$286,510
Dentists, General	90	$106,520	$175,950	$225,460
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	70	$125,410	$172,590	$198,920
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	50	$109,620	$172,410	$286,700
Registered Nurses	1,750	$97,980	$170,960	$210,870
Managers, All Other	350	$86,110	$170,650	$268,950
Computer Hardware Engineers	80	$89,080	$169,370	$214,600
Marketing Managers	150	$83,540	$168,980	$292,680
Nurse Practitioners	190	$126,540	$167,190	$218,680
Financial Managers	400	$97,410	$165,800	$312,850
Veterinarians	130	$68,430	$164,820	$298,830
Lawyers	350	$59,990	$164,790	$315,190
Human Resources Managers	130	$85,150	$164,570	$272,610
Pharmacists	170	$131,330	$161,940	$220,760
Physician Assistants	120	$126,690	$159,030	$208,760
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	230	$83,100	$157,630	$197,630
Software Developers	540	$92,520	$156,910	$209,260
Training and Development Managers	40	$100,180	$150,820	$212,680
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	40	$87,190	$142,150	$175,320
Engineers, All Other	150	$100,260	$141,150	$207,370
Medical and Health Services Managers	460	$76,570	$138,640	$237,750
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	50	$98,590	$136,120	$195,190
Respiratory Therapists	70	$100,040	$134,880	$161,250
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	150	$79,320	$134,060	$200,290
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	100	$75,100	$133,970	$175,960
Industrial Production Managers	120	$74,320	$133,890	$204,740
Electrical Engineers	90	$103,910	$133,560	$203,820
Mechanical Engineers	190	$94,180	$132,920	$211,260
Computer Programmers	90	$85,920	$132,850	$166,430
Industrial Engineers	120	$84,710	$131,740	$172,180
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	50	$59,990	$131,520	$260,220
Data Scientists	80	$75,070	$130,980	$211,050

Largest occupations

Largest detailed occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA by May 2025 employment.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	4,470	$34,320	$34,320	$45,560
Office Clerks, General	3,360	$36,500	$41,040	$66,560
Fast Food and Counter Workers	3,220	$35,120	$43,400	$46,930
Cashiers	2,530	$35,720	$37,390	$51,570
Retail Salespersons	2,430	$36,040	$38,620	$49,020
General and Operations Managers	1,770	$55,690	$105,360	$217,340
Registered Nurses	1,750	$97,980	$170,960	$210,870
Waiters and Waitresses	1,640	$34,400	$35,930	$79,330
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	1,510	$36,140	$40,780	$59,750
Stockers and Order Fillers	1,250	$36,230	$38,710	$52,000
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	1,120	$43,410	$61,960	$98,820
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	1,070	$43,150	$59,900	$59,900
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	1,060	$38,080	$47,430	$60,190
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	1,030	$37,830	$46,210	$60,960
Cooks, Restaurant	1,020	$37,170	$44,560	$49,840
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	1,000	$62,070	$99,260	$126,150
Medical Assistants	960	$40,690	$50,090	$75,140
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	960	$40,810	$48,220	$75,680
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	960	$38,610	$57,510	$79,490
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	880	$38,470	$50,000	$79,110
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	860	$50,480	$77,410	$112,850
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	860	$36,300	$44,050	$57,450
Food Preparation Workers	830	$35,170	$39,110	$50,540
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	830	$35,870	$38,730	$66,290
Customer Service Representatives	820	$38,210	$48,110	$76,510

Questions this page answers

What is the median wage in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

Across all occupations, the May 2025 median annual wage in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $54,730. Employment is 98,500.

Which published occupation has the highest median in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

General Internal Medicine Physicians has the highest published annual median on this list, $430,970, in the May 2025 OEWS estimates for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.