Retail salesperson pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance
Median salary
$38,620$18.57 per hour · $3,218 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Retail salesperson salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes
Retail salespersons 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 | $17.33/hr | $3,003 | $36,040 | $30,714 |
| 25th percentile | $17.63/hr | $3,056 | $36,670 | $31,195 |
| MedianMedian | $18.57/hr | $3,218 | $38,620 | $32,684 |
| 75th percentile | $21.84/hr | $3,786 | $45,430 | $37,883 |
| 90th percentile | $23.57/hr | $4,085 | $49,020 | $40,587 |
Is $38,620 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 retail salespersons next to both.
Retail salespersons pay in California and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Retail salesperson pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for retail salespersons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for retail salespersons in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $38,620 in May 2025, about $3,218 a month or $18.57 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $38,440, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for retail salespersons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median hourly wage for retail salespersons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $18.57 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.33 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.57.
How many retail salespersons work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
BLS estimated 2,430 jobs for retail salespersons in the metro in May 2025, or 24.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for retail salespersons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
BLS wage estimates for retail salespersons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $36,040 at the 10th percentile to $36,670 at the 25th, $45,430 at the 75th, and $49,020 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do retail salespersons take home after taxes in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
On a median gross salary of $38,620, an estimated $32,684 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,257 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,936 (an effective rate of 15.4%).
How much do retail salespersons make per month in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
On the median annual salary of $38,620, gross monthly income is $3,218. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,724 per month (or $1,257 every two weeks).
Is $38,620 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
At $38,620, the median salary for retail salespersons is 34.8% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 29% 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.