Auto mechanic pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance
Median salary
$58,860$28.30 per hour · $4,905 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Auto mechanic salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes
Auto mechanics pay range in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.59/hr | $3,048 | $36,580 | $31,126 |
| 25th percentile | $21.61/hr | $3,745 | $44,940 | $37,509 |
| MedianMedian | $28.30/hr | $4,905 | $58,860 | $47,903 |
| 75th percentile | $35.61/hr | $6,172 | $74,060 | $58,232 |
| 90th percentile | $40.75/hr | $7,063 | $84,760 | $64,821 |
Is $58,860 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for auto mechanics next to both.
Auto mechanics pay in California and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Auto mechanic pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for auto mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for auto mechanics in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $58,860 in May 2025, about $4,905 a month or $28.30 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $64,980, so the metro pays 9% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for auto mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median hourly wage for auto mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $28.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $40.75.
How many auto mechanics work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
BLS estimated 450 jobs for auto mechanics in the metro in May 2025, or 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for auto mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
BLS wage estimates for auto mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $36,580 at the 10th percentile to $44,940 at the 25th, $74,060 at the 75th, and $84,760 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do auto mechanics take home after taxes in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
On a median gross salary of $58,860, an estimated $47,903 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,842 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $10,957 (an effective rate of 18.6%).
How much do auto mechanics make per month in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
On the median annual salary of $58,860, gross monthly income is $4,905. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,992 per month (or $1,842 every two weeks).
Is $58,860 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
At $58,860, the median salary for auto mechanics is 53% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 8% above the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.9, so prices here run 9.9% above the U.S. average.