Cost of hiring in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
BLS counts about 8,310 people in these 17 roles in Santa Cruz-Watsonville1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($106,780 a year), E-commerce Order Specialist the lowest ($44,420), and Bookkeeper is the largest job, with about 1,120 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +22.3% | 1,120 | |
| HR Assistant | +21.7% | 60 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +21.0% | 960 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +18.3% | 510 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +17.4% | 120 | |
| Recruiter | +11.5% | 450 | |
| Office Manager | +11.4% | 860 | |
| Executive Assistant | +9.8% | 260 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +9.4% | 720 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +8.8% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +7.5% | 820 | |
| Project Coordinator | +4.4% | 440 | |
| Paralegal | +2.9% | 150 | |
| Accountant | +1.5% | 740 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +0.2% | 440 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.8% | 60 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -6.3% | 550 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $61,960 median for bookkeepers, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $79,948 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville against the US
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays above the US median for 14 of the 17 roles, most of all for bookkeepers (+22.3%) and HR assistants (+21.7%), and below it for 2, furthest for sales development representatives (-6.3%). For marketing specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +9.4%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for bookkeepers, #4 of 521 areas by median pay; its lowest is for e-commerce order specialists, #140 of 287.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Santa Cruz-Watsonville has more bookkeepers (13.5% of these jobs here, against 8.7% nationally) and e-commerce order specialists (0.7% against 0.5%), and fewer customer support specialists (9.9% against 16.4%) and paralegals (1.8% against 2.5%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA is nearest, at +9.8%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +10.5% | 17 | 205,210 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +10.5% | 13 | 3,170 |
| New Haven, CT | +9.9% | 17 | 28,720 |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +9.9% | 17 | 121,800 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +9.8% | 15 | 4,390 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | +9.4% (this area) | 17 | 8,310 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Santa Cruz-Watsonville span $39,200–$130,190, the widest band (3.3×); e-commerce order specialists the narrowest, $40,240–$59,690. Wider than nationally for HR assistants and project coordinators, narrower for paralegals and e-commerce order specialists. Budget from the median for sales development representatives, marketing specialists, accountants and 6 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($76,140 against a $65,600 median for sales development representatives).
Santa Cruz-Watsonville against California
Against California as a whole, Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays more for 6 of 17 roles, led by HR assistants (+7.0%) and payroll specialists (+4.7%), and less for 10, most of all sales development representatives (-18.9%). Its best rank within California is #3 of 28 areas, for bookkeepers.
Other areas in California
By jobs in these roles, Santa Cruz-Watsonville is #18 of 28 areas in California. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Modesto to Redding.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | 14,480 | 17 |
| Salinas, CA | 11,130 | 17 |
| Vallejo, CA | 10,190 | 17 |
| Visalia, CA | 10,080 | 17 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 9,830 | 17 |
| North Coast Region of California (Nonmetro) | 7,960 | 16 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | 7,880 | 17 |
| Chico, CA | 6,010 | 17 |
| Napa, CA | 5,760 | 17 |
| Redding, CA | 5,630 | 16 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $106,780 a year, about $137,781 with benefits; the lowest is E-commerce Order Specialist, $44,420.
Is hiring in Santa Cruz-Watsonville cheaper than the US median?
For 2 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all sales development representatives (-6.3%). 14 pay more than the US median, led by bookkeepers (+22.3%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.