Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a bookkeeper make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, bookkeepers earned a median of $61,960 a year ($29.79 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,120 of these jobs there. That is 13% above the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $43,410 and $98,820; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $50,208 in take-home pay.

Bookkeeper pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance

Median salary

$61,960$29.79 per hour · $5,163 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$43,410$20.87/hr
25th percentile$50,480$24.27/hr
75th percentile$77,800$37.41/hr
90th percentile$98,820$47.51/hr
Jobs in this metro1,120Location quotient 1.29 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here13% aboveAll-jobs median $54,730
Against California5% aboveStatewide median $59,230
Against the U.S.22% aboveNational median $50,670

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Bookkeeper salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes

$61,960
$20,000$125,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$61,960
Net 81%
Fed 8%
CA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$50,208After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,184Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,931Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$5,255 / yr
California state income tax$1,757 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,740 / yr

Bookkeepers 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.

What bookkeepers earned in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$20.87/hr$3,618$43,410$36,341
25th percentile$24.27/hr$4,207$50,480$41,672
MedianMedian$29.79/hr$5,163$61,960$50,208
75th percentile$37.41/hr$6,483$77,800$60,564
90th percentile$47.51/hr$8,235$98,820$73,405

Is $61,960 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 bookkeepers next to both.

Median household income$111,093Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.99.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household55.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Bookkeeper pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for bookkeepers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for bookkeepers in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $61,960 in May 2025, about $5,163 a month or $29.79 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $59,230, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for bookkeepers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The median hourly wage for bookkeepers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $29.79 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.87 an hour and one in ten earned more than $47.51.

How many bookkeepers work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS estimated 1,120 jobs for bookkeepers in the metro in May 2025, or 11.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.29 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS wage estimates for bookkeepers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $43,410 at the 10th percentile to $50,480 at the 25th, $77,800 at the 75th, and $98,820 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do bookkeepers take home after taxes in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

On a median gross salary of $61,960, an estimated $50,208 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,931 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,752 (an effective rate of 19%).

How much do bookkeepers make per month in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

On the median annual salary of $61,960, gross monthly income is $5,163. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,184 per month (or $1,931 every two weeks).

Is $61,960 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

At $61,960, the median salary for bookkeepers is 55.8% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 13% 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.