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

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

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, construction laborers earned a median of $58,500 a year ($28.13 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 520 of these jobs there. That is 7% above the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $45,160 and $81,750; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $47,635 in take-home pay.

Construction laborer pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance

Median salary

$58,500$28.13 per hour · $4,875 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$45,160$21.71/hr
25th percentile$47,470$22.82/hr
75th percentile$74,880$36.00/hr
90th percentile$81,750$39.30/hr
Jobs in this metro520Location quotient 0.74 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% aboveAll-jobs median $54,730
Against California3% belowStatewide median $60,270
Against the U.S.24% aboveNational median $47,120

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.

Construction laborer salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes

$58,500
$20,000$120,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$58,500
Net 81%
Fed 8%
CA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$47,635After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,970Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,832Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,840 / yr
California state income tax$1,550 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,475 / yr

Construction laborers 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 construction laborers earned in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$21.71/hr$3,763$45,160$37,677
25th percentile$22.82/hr$3,956$47,470$39,434
MedianMedian$28.13/hr$4,875$58,500$47,635
75th percentile$36.00/hr$6,240$74,880$58,743
90th percentile$39.30/hr$6,813$81,750$62,983

Is $58,500 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 construction laborers 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 household52.7%of area median income

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

Construction laborer pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for construction laborers in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $58,500 in May 2025, about $4,875 a month or $28.13 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $60,270, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for construction laborers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $28.13 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $21.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $39.30.

How many construction laborers work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS estimated 520 jobs for construction laborers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.74 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for construction laborers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $45,160 at the 10th percentile to $47,470 at the 25th, $74,880 at the 75th, and $81,750 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $58,500, an estimated $47,635 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,832 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $10,865 (an effective rate of 18.6%).

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

On the median annual salary of $58,500, gross monthly income is $4,875. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,970 per month (or $1,832 every two weeks).

Is $58,500 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

At $58,500, the median salary for construction laborers is 52.7% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 7% 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.