Packers and Packagers, Hand pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,820 or more. The middle half of packers and packagers, hand in Santa Cruz earn between $36,120 and $39,790.
- $36K10th
- $36K25th
- $37KMedian
- $40K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,570 | $3,214 | $18.54 |
| Median | $36,510 | $3,042 | $17.55 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,120 | $3,010 | $17.37 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $39,790 | $3,316 | $19.13 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Packers and Packagers, Hand pay in Santa Cruz vs. California and the U.S.
Packers and packagers, hand in Santa Cruz earn 4% less than the California average ($40,010) and about the same as the U.S. average ($37,540). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $36,280.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | $38,570 | $36,510 | $35,890 | $44,820 | 390 |
| California | $40,010 | $37,260 | $34,360 | $48,330 | 79,730 |
| United States | $37,540 | $36,280 | $27,890 | $47,100 | 559,820 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Packers and Packagers, Hand salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $38,570, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $32,493 a year, or $2,708 a month and $1,250 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Santa Cruz a good place for packers and packagers, hand? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Cruz area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.9), so the average $38,570 buys what about $35,097 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 30.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Packers and Packagers, Hand salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 18th of 25 California metro areas for this job; Modesto pays the most ($43,890).
- Modesto$43,890
- San Jose$43,370
- San Francisco$42,710
- Napa$42,340
- Riverside$41,490
- Yuba City$41,080
- Vallejo$40,930
- Santa Rosa$40,790
- Sacramento$40,100
- Santa Cruz$38,570
Highest-paying cities for packers and packagers, hand
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($47,850).
- Fairbanks, AK$47,850
- Greeley, CO$46,540
- Seattle, WA$45,000
- Bremerton, WA$44,740
- Modesto, CA$43,890
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Packers and Packagers, Hand salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do packers and packagers, hand make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$18.54 an hour on average, and $17.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level packers and packagers, hand salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,120, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the packers and packagers, hand take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $32,493 a year ($2,708 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,570. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do packers and packagers, hand earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($37,540).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-7064; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.11, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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