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

How much does a laborer or material mover make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, laborers or material movers earned a median of $44,050 a year ($21.18 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 860 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,300 and $57,450; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,829 in take-home pay.

Laborer or material mover pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance

Median salary

$44,050$21.18 per hour · $3,671 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,300$17.45/hr
25th percentile$38,560$18.54/hr
75th percentile$48,380$23.26/hr
90th percentile$57,450$27.62/hr
Jobs in this metro860Location quotient 0.46 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $54,730
Against California1% belowStatewide median $44,710
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $40,240

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.

Laborer or material mover salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes

$44,050
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$44,050
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,829After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,069Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,417Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,106 / yr
California state income tax$745 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,370 / yr

Laborers or material movers 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 laborers or material movers earned in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.45/hr$3,025$36,300$30,912
25th percentile$18.54/hr$3,213$38,560$32,638
MedianMedian$21.18/hr$3,671$44,050$36,829
75th percentile$23.26/hr$4,032$48,380$40,111
90th percentile$27.62/hr$4,788$57,450$46,855

Is $44,050 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 laborers or material movers 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 household39.7%of area median income

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

Laborer or material mover pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for laborers or material movers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for laborers or material movers in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $44,050 in May 2025, about $3,671 a month or $21.18 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $44,710, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for laborers or material movers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The median hourly wage for laborers or material movers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $21.18 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.45 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.62.

How many laborers or material movers work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS estimated 860 jobs for laborers or material movers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.46 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for laborers or material movers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS wage estimates for laborers or material movers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $36,300 at the 10th percentile to $38,560 at the 25th, $48,380 at the 75th, and $57,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $44,050, an estimated $36,829 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,417 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,221 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do laborers or material movers make per month in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

On the median annual salary of $44,050, gross monthly income is $3,671. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,069 per month (or $1,417 every two weeks).

Is $44,050 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

At $44,050, the median salary for laborers or material movers is 39.7% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 20% below 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.