StateRates

Salinas salaries

The median worker in the Salinas, CA metro area earned $46,790 a year in 2024, about $22.50 an hour. That ranks #189 of the 391 metro areas published here, 5.5% below the national median.

California

Median pay $46,790 $22.50 per hour
Vs national -5.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 186,110 wage and salary
Metro rank #189 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Salinas pays 17.8% less than California as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 89.02× 28,120 $37,380
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 34.15× 1,220 $59,180
Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products 20.18× 650 $36,590
Agricultural Equipment Operators 19.59× 730 $40,600
Teachers and Instructors, All Other 14.84× 2,240 $110,760
Interpreters and Translators 11.86× 760 $80,120
Packers and Packagers, Hand 3.38× 2,450 $35,520
Correctional Officers and Jailers 3.37× 1,490 $106,490
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks 2.71× 850 $38,660
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.39× 1,110 $44,530
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1.86× 1,920 $38,790
Painters, Construction and Maintenance 1.86× 500 $56,820

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Salinas
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $221,090 $106.29 240
Pharmacists $169,050 $81.27 260
Lawyers $167,700 $80.62 390
Computer and Information Systems Managers $163,890 $78.79 210
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $159,590 n/a 450
Financial Managers $158,740 $76.32 440
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other $136,320 n/a 400
Registered Nurses $135,080 $64.94 3,060
Software Developers $134,300 $64.57 280
Medical and Health Services Managers $131,470 $63.21 480
Managers, All Other $131,420 $63.18 360
Computer Occupations, All Other $126,280 $60.71 500
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $122,290 $58.80 780
Administrative Services Managers $120,500 $57.93 260
Civil Engineers $112,510 $54.09 250
Teachers and Instructors, All Other $110,760 n/a 2,240
General and Operations Managers $110,610 $53.18 2,350
Computer Systems Analysts $109,100 $52.45 240
Correctional Officers and Jailers $106,490 $51.20 1,490
Instructional Coordinators $105,430 $50.69 240
Project Management Specialists $101,510 $48.80 430
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $101,300 n/a 1,730
Sales Managers $99,590 $47.88 730
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,320 n/a 1,300
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $97,790 $47.01 500
Management Analysts $95,270 $45.80 600
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $92,300 $44.37 510
Compliance Officers $91,360 $43.92 230
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $90,430 $43.48 500
Accountants and Auditors $84,860 $40.80 1,050
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $82,710 $39.77 350
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $82,500 $39.66 1,040
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $82,100 $39.47 1,120
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $80,600 $38.75 630
Social and Community Service Managers $80,310 $38.61 290
Interpreters and Translators $80,120 $38.52 760
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $79,850 $38.39 330
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $79,660 n/a 520
Firefighters $79,310 $38.13 590
Human Resources Specialists $79,240 $38.10 600
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators $79,030 $38.00 290
Food Service Managers $78,790 $37.88 380
Electricians $77,890 $37.45 450
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $75,190 $36.15 240
Carpenters $74,270 $35.71 1,210
Chefs and Head Cooks $73,260 $35.22 340
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs $72,810 $35.01 340
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $71,860 $34.55 1,300
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $71,550 $34.40 370
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $70,780 $34.03 370
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $69,910 $33.61 320
Computer User Support Specialists $69,510 $33.42 370
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers $68,800 $33.08 230
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $68,770 $33.06 540
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $68,520 $32.94 360
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists $67,850 $32.62 220
Training and Development Specialists $67,400 $32.40 280
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $67,260 $32.34 240
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $64,580 $31.05 380
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $63,230 $30.40 210

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Salinas by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 28,120 $37,380 $17.97
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 6,410 $33,580 $16.15
Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,400 $37,440 $18.00
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 4,300 $36,510 $17.56
Cashiers 3,990 $36,470 $17.53
Retail Salespersons 3,560 $36,970 $17.78
Waiters and Waitresses 3,460 $35,390 $17.01
Registered Nurses 3,060 $135,080 $64.94
Office Clerks, General 2,760 $48,550 $23.34
Packers and Packagers, Hand 2,450 $35,520 $17.08
General and Operations Managers 2,350 $110,610 $53.18
Teachers and Instructors, All Other 2,240 $110,760 n/a
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2,160 $54,230 $26.07
Cooks, Restaurant 2,060 $44,490 $21.39
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,010 $39,480 $18.98
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 1,940 $46,410 n/a
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,920 $38,790 $18.65
Stockers and Order Fillers 1,890 $38,600 $18.56
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,730 $101,300 n/a
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,630 $53,870 $25.90

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other California metro areas

Salinas pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Salinas?

The median across all occupations is $46,790, or $22.50 an hour, covering 186,110 wage and salary workers. The mean is $63,970, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Salinas pay more than the rest of California?

No. The metro median of $46,790 is 17.8% below the California median of $56,940. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Salinas?

Chief Executives ($221,090), Pharmacists ($169,050), Lawyers ($167,700). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Salinas unusually full of?

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, at 89.02× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.