Santa Cruz Employment

Employment and Industries in the Santa Cruz, California Area

The tables here illustrate essential information about work and employment in the area. Information includes:

A table of the most numerous types of work found here, both for jobs generally requiring college degrees and jobs not requiring college degrees.
A table listing those careers significantly more common in Santa Cruz than in other US cities; this is useful both for career planning and for understanding the nature of Santa Cruz.
A list of the highest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz.
A list of any large public companies in Santa Cruz.

Most Popular Jobs in Santa Cruz, California Metro Area (2006 data)

Where the Majority of Workers Have College Degrees

Rank	Title	Local Jobs	Local Mean Salary	Typical Local Salary	National Growth % 2006-2016	National % With College Degree
1	Elementary school teachers, except special education	1,070	49,550	$34,570 - 68,040	14%	95%
2	Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	720	57,520	$32,370 - 85,910	8%	51%
3	Accountants and auditors	500	61,670	$39,050 - 89,640	18%	79%
4	Computer software engineers, applications	470	83,070	$53,940 - 124,940	45%	85%
5	Middle school teachers, except special and vocational education	330	50,810	$34,590 - 71,830	11%	95%
6	Computer software engineers, systems software	310	93,120	$65,910 - 127,150	28%	85%
7	Management analysts	300	80,660	$41,760 - 115,100	22%	78%
8	Computer programmers	270	71,500	$45,050 - 103,510	0%	73%
9	Child, family, and school social workers	270	45,390	$26,700 - 67,300	19%	77%
10	Lawyers	240	137,050	$67,080 - 0	11%	99%
11	Social and human service assistants	230	35,090	$15,520 - 58,510	34%	58%
12	Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products	230	73,720	$40,910 - 118,340	12%	51%
13	Financial managers	230	96,130	$54,150 - 0	13%	60%
14	Mental health and substance abuse social workers	210	42,220	$23,490 - 67,550	30%	77%
15	Sales managers	200	100,370	$52,570 - 0	10%	69%
16	Marketing managers	190	93,120	$31,430 - 0	14%	69%
17	Coaches and scouts	190	33,910	$16,790 - 55,550	15%	60%
18	Social and community service managers	180	63,060	$38,610 - 94,160	25%	72%
19	Civil engineers	180	80,370	$51,850 - 115,770	18%	87%
20	Mental health counselors	170	30,460	$19,610 - 47,520	30%	73%
21	Managers, all other	170	108,920	$55,530 - 0	7%	55%
22	Education administrators, elementary and secondary school	170	81,870	$60,460 - 106,620	8%	78%
23	Graphic designers	160	42,620	$22,780 - 57,280	10%	55%
24	Computer systems analysts	160	71,860	$49,950 - 96,050	29%	68%
25	Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents	150	87,880	$32,580 - 0	25%	67%
26	Sales and related workers, all other	150	37,150	$16,350 - 66,000	14%	62%
27	Chief executives	150	156,710	$79,320 - 0	2%	65%
28	Engineers, all other	140	94,620	$58,560 - 0	6%	82%
29	Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	140	58,570	$38,260 - 82,650	25%	93%
30	Network and computer systems administrators	140	63,290	$34,380 - 100,520	27%	50%
31	Medical and health services managers	140	87,330	$49,540 - 126,960	16%	57%
32	Computer and information systems managers	140	118,900	$71,050 - 0	16%	73%
33	Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other	130	58,470	$34,680 - 86,270	17%	56%
34	Engineering managers	130	123,510	$81,360 - 0	7%	84%
35	Market research analysts	130	63,600	$33,330 - 92,580	20%	82%
36	Electronics engineers, except computer	130	92,960	$48,080 - 0	4%	81%
37	Public relations specialists	130	40,280	$27,110 - 59,140	18%	81%
38	Physical therapists	130	65,490	$49,910 - 83,810	27%	89%
39	Instructional coordinators	120	56,660	$32,350 - 77,360	23%	79%
40	Pharmacists	120	111,780	$95,240 - 140,800	22%	97%
41	Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	100	78,440	$42,630 - 107,650	20%	99%
42	Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists	100	76,440	$39,410 - 144,200	16%	99%
43	Computer specialists, all other	100	65,570	$31,840 - 112,680	15%	68%
44	Health educators	90	43,490	$23,350 - 64,590	26%	58%
45	Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school	90	52,530	$34,530 - 71,800	20%	87%
46	Mechanical engineers	90	71,870	$50,300 - 108,190	4%	78%
47	Personal financial advisors	90	128,630	$37,580 - 0	41%	81%
48	Sales engineers	80	119,040	$69,220 - 0	9%	79%
49	Industrial engineers	80	78,500	$48,360 - 114,610	20%	74%
50	Computer hardware engineers	80	99,490	$67,520 - 140,330	5%	70%
51	Veterinarians	80	92,660	$44,370 - 0	35%	100%
52	Physician assistants	80	85,230	$71,760 - 100,730	27%	67%
53	Biological technicians	80	30,450	$17,010 - 49,590	16%	60%
54	Meeting and convention planners	70	34,660	$18,120 - 51,810	20%	67%
55	Training and development specialists	70	62,320	$36,280 - 91,810	18%	56%
56	Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists	70	73,820	$33,200 - 0	18%	56%
57	Education administrators, preschool and child care center/program	50	42,890	$22,700 - 74,740	24%	78%
58	Librarians	50	56,800	$28,840 - 100,540	4%	85%
59	Database administrators	50	62,160	$38,430 - 90,110	29%	72%
60	Purchasing managers	50	64,210	$35,310 - 101,310	3%	57%
61	Dentists, general	50	189,290	$133,800 - 0	9%	100%
62	Public relations managers	50	67,330	$40,820 - 92,640	17%	75%
63	Technical writers	50	62,390	$34,000 - 93,290	20%	74%
64	Surveyors	40	74,450	$47,370 - 102,330	24%	82%
65	Compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety, and transportation	40	60,860	$39,270 - 90,800	5%	58%
66	Legislators	40	41,170	$26,000 - 52,540	1%	65%
67	Clergy	40	49,990	$32,330 - 62,810	19%	75%
68	Editors	40	58,880	$28,730 - 88,880	2%	81%
69	Natural sciences managers	40	110,450	$51,000 - 0	11%	93%
70	Producers and directors	40	46,840	$31,160 - 63,480	11%	75%
71	Commercial pilots	30	52,330	$27,360 - 91,010	13%	74%
72	Financial analysts	30	84,980	$61,920 - 118,540	34%	87%
73	Designers, all other	30	44,860	$27,700 - 71,920	12%	55%
74	Human resources managers, all other	30	107,300	$64,510 - 0	11%	58%

Where the Majority of Workers Do Not Have College Degrees

Rank	Title	Local Jobs	Local Mean Salary	Typical Local Salary	National Growth % 2006-2016	National % With College Degree
1	Retail salespersons	3,980	25,210	$15,940 - 35,870	12%	25%
2	Cashiers	3,040	22,640	$15,730 - 37,090	-2%	10%
3	Office clerks, general	2,170	27,350	$17,690 - 37,190	13%	19%
4	Waiters and waitresses	1,800	20,380	$14,750 - 40,060	11%	14%
5	General and operations managers	1,660	99,770	$51,590 - [?]	2%	48%
6	Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	1,620	39,530	$26,450 - 55,000	13%	16%
7	Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food	1,550	18,560	$14,970 - 24,710	18%	5%
8	Stock clerks and order fillers	1,500	25,220	$16,110 - 41,790	-7%	8%
9	Executive secretaries and administrative assistants	1,280	39,160	$27,100 - 55,700	15%	18%
10	Teacher assistants	1,220	27,190	$18,800 - 36,130	10%	18%
11	First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers	1,200	47,250	$30,600 - 65,590	6%	29%
12	Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	1,180	24,480	$16,330 - 35,340	15%	4%
13	Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	1,170	24,080	$15,720 - 36,710	2%	5%
14	First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers	1,040	40,310	$25,690 - 57,630	4%	25%
15	Carpenters	1,010	46,340	$26,040 - 69,060	10%	6%
16	Maintenance and repair workers, general	860	33,590	$20,290 - 50,430	10%	6%
17	Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	860	27,740	$19,590 - 41,490	18%	6%
18	Receptionists and information clerks	840	25,840	$17,650 - 36,560	17%	13%
19	Cooks, restaurant	820	22,970	$17,620 - 29,300	12%	5%
20	Cooks, fast food	810	17,030	$14,870 - 19,590	8%	5%
21	Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive	810	32,370	$22,570 - 42,660	1%	18%
22	Customer service representatives	800	35,820	$20,880 - 50,710	25%	22%
23	Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop	760	18,060	$14,910 - 22,300	10%	8%
24	Truck drivers, light or delivery services	740	28,720	$19,650 - 39,600	8%	4%
25	Business operations specialists, all other	740	59,080	$33,600 - 91,750	21%	49%
26	Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer	720	38,130	$24,500 - 51,850	10%	4%
27	Food preparation workers	670	21,210	$15,470 - 28,860	15%	7%
28	Tellers	600	24,640	$19,800 - 32,170	14%	16%
29	Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants	570	28,620	$20,560 - 39,270	18%	7%
30	Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	570	18,210	$15,050 - 22,620	-2%	4%
31	Construction laborers	560	38,440	$19,280 - 69,800	11%	5%
32	First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers	550	29,590	$19,690 - 43,340	11%	14%
33	Maids and housekeeping cleaners	550	20,220	$15,560 - 28,000	13%	5%
34	First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	540	63,690	$38,450 - 87,480	9%	10%
35	Dishwashers	530	17,790	$15,110 - 22,170	10%	3%
36	Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	500	53,160	$30,550 - 77,840	11%	4%
37	Packers and packagers, hand	490	18,720	$15,220 - 22,920	-11%	3%
38	Counter and rental clerks	490	20,890	$14,950 - 30,760	23%	16%
39	Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	490	18,900	$14,890 - 23,040	12%	6%
40	Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks	480	27,330	$16,830 - 41,430	4%	6%
41	Automotive service technicians and mechanics	470	41,890	$23,520 - 63,690	14%	4%
42	Preschool teachers, except special education	450	28,270	$18,990 - 36,520	26%	43%
43	Amusement and recreation attendants	440	18,700	$15,390 - 23,300	24%	22%
44	Personal and home care aides	430	22,110	$17,380 - 27,840	51%	10%
45	Industrial truck and tractor operators	430	31,410	$22,460 - 39,640	-1%	2%
46	Driver/sales workers	400	25,170	$15,150 - 51,440	-4%	4%
47	Bartenders	400	19,960	$14,940 - 31,120	11%	17%
48	Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors	370	31,230	$17,120 - 51,940	27%	47%
49	Medical assistants	340	30,210	$22,160 - 39,830	35%	10%
50	Child care workers	340	21,360	$15,670 - 27,890	18%	15%
51	Police and sheriff's patrol officers	320	67,820	$52,630 - 81,010	11%	33%
52	Medical secretaries	320	29,230	$19,790 - 41,240	17%	18%
53	Security guards	320	26,610	$18,670 - 35,460	17%	13%
54	Painters, construction and maintenance	310	45,510	$30,720 - 68,270	12%	6%
55	First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	310	46,260	$26,530 - 69,860	-4%	15%
56	Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop	310	17,270	$15,070 - 20,600	10%	17%
57	Dental assistants	300	30,420	$20,730 - 41,990	29%	9%
58	Home health aides	300	19,900	$15,710 - 25,190	49%	7%
59	Dental hygienists	290	71,430	$39,590 - 96,210	30%	33%
60	Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks	290	20,200	$15,550 - 25,290	17%	14%
61	Computer support specialists	270	49,750	$30,860 - 77,850	13%	43%
62	Postal service mail carriers	270	44,480	$38,940 - 50,240	1%	11%
63	Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	270	23,290	$15,900 - 32,590	14%	3%
64	Administrative services managers	270	73,400	$48,530 - 111,940	12%	40%
65	Electricians	230	60,780	$43,570 - 82,480	7%	7%
66	Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	230	59,910	$38,930 - 84,160	8%	3%
67	Protective service workers, all other	220	31,300	$19,340 - 47,670	13%	31%
68	First-line supervisors/managers of mechanics, installers, and repairers	220	63,310	$38,570 - 93,880	7%	13%
69	Insurance sales agents	210	54,070	$27,420 - 90,010	13%	45%
70	Team assemblers	210	28,950	$19,860 - 39,080	0%	5%
71	Cooks, institution and cafeteria	200	27,450	$17,890 - 36,090	11%	5%
72	Cost estimators	200	58,850	$38,090 - 84,090	19%	32%
73	Billing and posting clerks and machine operators	200	31,350	$23,190 - 42,130	4%	15%
74	Drywall and ceiling tile installers	200	50,250	$29,010 - 62,820	7%	2%
75	Food service managers	200	44,890	$28,170 - 65,830	5%	24%
76	File clerks	190	22,420	$14,780 - 31,070	-40%	20%
77	Butchers and meat cutters	180	40,080	$20,360 - 54,900	2%	2%
78	Roofers	180	52,090	$37,920 - 82,630	14%	3%
79	Purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products	180	54,740	$28,270 - 87,990	0%	42%
80	Sales representatives, services, all other	180	62,980	$34,520 - 118,340	28%	48%
81	Production workers, all other	170	27,880	$16,740 - 48,810	2%	5%
82	Loan officers	170	61,100	$37,380 - 92,130	12%	49%
83	Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers	170	41,970	$23,020 - 64,630	3%	13%
84	Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	170	47,510	$35,730 - 59,280	14%	7%
85	Parts salespersons	160	30,440	$18,590 - 45,700	-1%	6%
86	Pharmacy technicians	160	33,550	$21,920 - 46,330	32%	16%
87	Bakers	150	24,400	$15,900 - 35,520	10%	8%
88	Fire fighters	150	43,120	$30,350 - 65,290	12%	18%
89	Library technicians	150	37,600	$26,550 - 53,350	9%	27%
90	Order clerks	150	29,360	$19,390 - 46,420	-23%	16%
91	Loan interviewers and clerks	150	45,120	$32,190 - 61,860	0%	24%
92	Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products	140	43,990	$23,460 - 75,180	0%	36%
93	Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	140	42,980	$30,720 - 59,770	12%	3%
94	Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	140	22,920	$16,570 - 29,560	13%	15%
95	First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers	140	70,980	$43,740 - 113,110	4%	38%
96	Massage therapists	140	51,710	$20,710 - 71,770	20%	32%
97	Healthcare support workers, all other	130	38,550	$28,990 - 50,180	16%	10%
98	Cooks, short order	130	21,300	$16,600 - 28,320	5%	5%
99	Helpers--production workers	130	21,250	$14,890 - 28,570	0%	4%
100	Data entry keyers	130	27,040	$20,170 - 38,830	-4%	18%

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Jobs More Common Near Santa Cruz Than Most Other Cities

* Average job popularity for metro areas = 1.0

Title	Mean Local Salary	Local Jobs	Pop. vs. Avg.*
Massage therapists	51,710	140	7.4
Protective service workers, all other	31,300	220	5.8
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	18,210	570	4.3
Mental health counselors	30,460	170	3.6
Mental health and substance abuse social workers	42,220	210	3.6
Amusement and recreation attendants	18,700	440	3.3
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	78,440	100	3.3
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	58,570	140	3.2
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers	22,560	120	3.2
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors	31,230	370	3
Dental hygienists	71,430	290	3
Social and community service managers	63,060	180	3
Library technicians	37,600	150	2.7
Butchers and meat cutters	40,080	180	2.6
Roofers	52,090	180	2.6
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop	18,060	760	2.6
Library assistants, clerical	29,720	130	2.6
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks	20,200	290	2.6
Cooks, fast food	17,030	810	2.5
Coaches and scouts	33,910	190	2.4
Drywall and ceiling tile installers	50,250	200	2.4
Family and general practitioners	147,950	110	2.1
Preschool teachers, except special education	28,270	450	2.1
First-line supervisors/managers of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers	46,080	130	2
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	18,900	490	2
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	53,160	500	1.9
Child, family, and school social workers	45,390	270	1.9
Painters, construction and maintenance	45,510	310	1.9
Travel agents	29,710	100	1.9
Instructional coordinators	56,660	120	1.9
Administrative services managers	73,400	270	1.9
Marketing managers	93,120	190	1.8
Bakers	24,400	150	1.8
Teacher assistants	27,190	1,220	1.8
Chefs and head cooks	36,300	110	1.8
Dishwashers	17,790	530	1.8
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers	41,970	170	1.8
Dental assistants	30,420	300	1.8
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists	76,440	100	1.8
Tellers	24,640	600	1.8
Counter and rental clerks	20,890	490	1.8
Driver/sales workers	25,170	400	1.8
Food service managers	44,890	200	1.7
Carpenters	46,340	1,010	1.7
Engineers, all other	94,620	140	1.7
Electronics engineers, except computer	92,960	130	1.7
Cooks, restaurant	22,970	820	1.7
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other	46,720	120	1.7
Wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products	43,990	140	1.7
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters	37,910	100	1.7

Work Paying Relatively Well in the Santa Cruz, California Metro Area (2006 data)

* Average Salary Index for metro areas = 1.0

Title	Mean Local Salary	Salary Index *	Local Jobs
Roofers	52,090	1.55	180
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	67,820	1.52	320
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	59,910	1.5	230
Loan interviewers and clerks	45,120	1.48	150
Healthcare support workers, all other	38,550	1.43	130
Lawyers	137,050	1.42	240
Painters, construction and maintenance	45,510	1.42	310
Managers, all other	108,920	1.41	170
Butchers and meat cutters	40,080	1.39	180
Electricians	60,780	1.38	230
Massage therapists	51,710	1.38	140
Drywall and ceiling tile installers	50,250	1.36	200
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other	46,720	1.36	120
Library technicians	37,600	1.34	150
Construction laborers	38,440	1.33	560
Social and human service assistants	35,090	1.32	230
Library assistants, clerical	29,720	1.32	130
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	39,530	1.31	1,620
Teacher assistants	27,190	1.3	1,220
Computer and information systems managers	118,900	1.29	140
Cashiers	22,640	1.29	3,040
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	47,510	1.29	170
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants	28,620	1.28	570
Pharmacy technicians	33,550	1.28	160
Payroll and timekeeping clerks	39,600	1.27	120
Carpenters	46,340	1.27	1,010
Sales representatives, services, all other	62,980	1.26	180
Customer service representatives	35,820	1.26	800
Cooks, institution and cafeteria	27,450	1.26	200
Engineers, all other	94,620	1.26	140
Computer support specialists	49,750	1.25	270
Engineering managers	123,510	1.24	130
Waiters and waitresses	20,380	1.24	1,800
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	27,740	1.24	860
Electronics engineers, except computer	92,960	1.23	130
Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers	18,900	1.22	490
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	53,160	1.21	500
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	41,890	1.21	470
Physicians and surgeons, all other	182,850	1.2	190
Dental hygienists	71,430	1.2	290
Computer software engineers, systems software	93,120	1.2	310
Child care workers	21,360	1.2	340
Pharmacists	111,780	1.2	120
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	23,290	1.2	270
Social and community service managers	63,060	1.19	180
Civil engineers	80,370	1.19	180
Preschool teachers, except special education	28,270	1.19	450
Computer programmers	71,500	1.18	270
Child, family, and school social workers	45,390	1.18	270
Food preparation workers	21,210	1.18	670

Highest Paying Jobs in Santa Cruz, California Metro Area (2006 data)

Title	Mean Local Salary	Local Jobs
Dentists, general	189,290	50
Physicians and surgeons, all other	182,850	190
Chief executives	156,710	150
Family and general practitioners	147,950	110
Lawyers	137,050	240
Personal financial advisors	128,630	90
Engineering managers	123,510	130
Sales engineers	119,040	80
Computer and information systems managers	118,900	140
Real estate brokers	114,990	90
Pharmacists	111,780	120
Natural sciences managers	110,450	40
Managers, all other	108,920	170
Human resources managers, all other	107,300	30
Sales managers	100,370	200
General and operations managers	99,770	1,660
Computer hardware engineers	99,490	80
Education administrators, postsecondary	98,960
Financial managers	96,130	230
Engineers, all other	94,620	140
Computer software engineers, systems software	93,120	310
Marketing managers	93,120	190
Electronics engineers, except computer	92,960	130
Veterinarians	92,660	80
Industrial production managers	87,970	70
Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents	87,880	150
Medical and health services managers	87,330	140
Physician assistants	85,230	80
Financial analysts	84,980	30
Computer software engineers, applications	83,070	470
Education administrators, elementary and secondary school	81,870	170
Management analysts	80,660	300
Civil engineers	80,370	180
Industrial engineers	78,500	80
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists	78,440	100
Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists	76,440	100
Surveyors	74,450	40
Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists	73,820	70
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products	73,720	230
Administrative services managers	73,400	270
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	73,250	40
Mechanical engineers	71,870	90
Computer systems analysts	71,860	160
Computer programmers	71,500	270
Dental hygienists	71,430	290
First-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers	70,980	140
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	67,820	320
Public relations managers	67,330	50
Computer specialists, all other	65,570	100
Physical therapists	65,490	130

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