Jobs in the United States → United States guide → Metro areas → Salinas, CA

Jobs in Salinas, CA

Pay, demand and occupations in this metropolitan area.

In short: Salinas, CA: 186,430 jobs, median pay $47,380 a year.

By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.

$47,380median pay

186,430jobs

1cities listed

$119,480top (90th pct.)

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Overview

METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025

Salinas, CA is a metropolitan area in California. BLS counts 186,430 wage-and-salary jobs here, with a median pay of $47,380 a year (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $35,480 and the highest-paid tenth more than $119,480).

Cities in our guides that belong to this area: Salinas.

Private-sector jobs →Federal jobs →All metro areas

Largest occupations

METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025

The 40 largest occupations here (at least 100 jobs).

Sort:

Occupation ⇅	Jobs ⇅	Median pay ⇅	Entry (10th pct.) ⇅	Top (90th pct.) ⇅	Location quotient ⇅
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse	26,830	$36,700	$35,140	$47,450	84.30
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	6,740	$34,320	$34,320	$38,660	1.31
Fast Food and Counter Workers	4,180	$43,260	$35,290	$46,790	0.90
Retail Salespersons	4,110	$37,970	$35,420	$49,460	0.88
Cashiers	4,020	$37,080	$35,490	$48,290	1.08
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	3,890	$39,110	$36,080	$49,050	1.10
Registered Nurses	3,180	$134,910	$102,300	$176,990	0.79
Waiters and Waitresses	3,100	$35,540	$34,320	$73,940	1.14
Office Clerks, General	2,790	$48,340	$36,140	$68,940	0.95
Packers and Packagers, Hand	2,700	$35,480	$34,820	$39,570	4.02
General and Operations Managers	2,600	$105,680	$54,170	$223,970	0.62
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	2,290	$48,030	$38,660	$59,930	1.34
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	2,280	$100,220	$64,050	$125,450	1.37
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	2,140	$53,390	$38,480	$76,970	0.87
Cooks, Restaurant	1,910	$44,930	$37,150	$57,980	1.13
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	1,890	$43,570	$36,100	$59,500	0.71
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	1,890	$38,810	$35,520	$60,220	1.83
Stockers and Order Fillers	1,860	$39,200	$35,620	$56,860	0.55
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	1,590	$46,550	$37,490	$61,360	1.39
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	1,550	$50,760	$37,070	$79,110	0.85
Security Guards	1,520	$38,700	$35,680	$56,960	0.99
Correctional Officers and Jailers	1,510	$109,620	$69,800	$116,270	3.31
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	1,500	$57,340	$39,520	$76,720	0.73
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	1,450	$48,220	$40,020	$76,360	0.99
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	1,290	$43,370	$38,100	$50,730	1.39
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	1,270	$59,180	$40,900	$84,600	0.77
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	1,230	$74,010	$48,710	$104,200	0.71
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	1,220	$63,970	$39,170	$94,660	1.94
Carpenters	1,210	$67,530	$47,930	$104,630	1.50
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1,200	$101,590	$63,760	$131,210	0.94
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	1,190	$55,380	$39,590	$74,790	0.88
Food Preparation Workers	1,180	$38,480	$35,300	$48,970	1.10
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	1,170	$35,600	$34,570	$50,670	1.80
Cooks, Fast Food	1,100	$43,120	$35,130	$47,010	1.42
Medical Assistants	1,080	$48,890	$40,730	$59,550	1.10
Nursing Assistants	1,070	$48,870	$39,900	$57,040	0.62
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	1,070	$44,660	$36,770	$56,140	2.36
Accountants and Auditors	1,050	$83,810	$59,410	$142,030	0.60
Dishwashers	970	$37,350	$35,760	$46,860	1.70
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	960	$86,590	$45,810	$140,320	0.73

Top pay

METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025

The 40 highest-paying occupations among those with at least 300 jobs.

Sort:

Occupation ⇅	Jobs ⇅	Median pay ⇅	Entry (10th pct.) ⇅	Top (90th pct.) ⇅	Location quotient ⇅
Family Medicine Physicians	320	$410,370	$146,830	$461,330	2.45
Lawyers	380	$166,940	$80,610	$289,250	0.42
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	350	$161,590	$111,710	$205,340	0.88
Financial Managers	450	$153,370	$94,950	$257,310	0.44
Medical and Health Services Managers	510	$140,610	$78,640	$222,350	0.72
Registered Nurses	3,180	$134,910	$102,300	$176,990	0.79
Computer Occupations, All Other	500	$131,730	$58,570	$176,430	0.95
Managers, All Other	400	$131,050	$82,040	$209,580	0.54
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	930	$118,220	$78,390	$142,280	1.15
Correctional Officers and Jailers	1,510	$109,620	$69,800	$116,270	3.31
General and Operations Managers	2,600	$105,680	$54,170	$223,970	0.62
Sales Managers	800	$103,810	$57,830	$233,770	1.05
Management Analysts	720	$102,640	$59,280	$159,980	0.66
Project Management Specialists	490	$102,400	$61,840	$159,870	0.38
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1,200	$101,590	$63,760	$131,210	0.94
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	400	$100,360	$56,820	$136,020	0.93
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	2,280	$100,220	$64,050	$125,450	1.37
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	500	$91,850	$52,300	$140,840	0.68
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	500	$91,200	$61,300	$127,920	0.51
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	960	$86,590	$45,810	$140,320	0.73
Accountants and Auditors	1,050	$83,810	$59,410	$142,030	0.60
Firefighters	760	$81,070	$51,540	$122,590	1.82
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	710	$80,910	$64,340	$96,370	0.92
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	930	$80,510	$47,370	$154,640	0.63
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	350	$80,500	$51,010	$127,490	0.59
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	340	$80,320	$59,730	$131,930	0.60
Human Resources Specialists	630	$80,100	$51,630	$135,110	0.58
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	360	$79,390	$53,870	$115,430	0.66
Food Service Managers	310	$79,170	$46,210	$130,160	1.09
Electricians	530	$78,780	$47,740	$131,450	0.59
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	330	$74,550	$50,280	$159,850	0.56
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	1,230	$74,010	$48,710	$104,200	0.71
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	620	$73,940	$45,430	$107,820	1.06
Computer User Support Specialists	340	$73,540	$50,290	$101,040	0.40
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	300	$72,550	$49,590	$115,990	0.60
Chefs and Head Cooks	360	$72,440	$40,150	$111,730	1.49
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	350	$71,490	$46,810	$105,260	0.67
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	540	$70,440	$38,000	$132,650	0.50
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	530	$69,920	$44,890	$109,840	0.66
Carpenters	1,210	$67,530	$47,930	$104,630	1.50

Fields

METRO Official statistic Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 · Data: May 2025

Sort:

Field ⇅	Jobs ⇅	Median pay ⇅	Location quotient ⇅
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry	29,450	$36,920	56.43
Food Preparation and Serving Related	18,270	$40,340	1.11
Transportation and Material Moving	15,720	$40,380	0.96
Office and Administrative Support	15,170	$52,000	0.71
Educational Instruction and Library	14,160	$78,840	1.30
Sales and Related	13,450	$40,850	0.84
Healthcare Support	10,530	$34,320	1.11
Management	8,850	$119,990	0.66
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical	8,620	$120,220	0.73
Business and Financial Operations	6,860	$84,030	0.54
Construction and Extraction	6,540	$65,160	0.85
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance	6,390	$45,040	1.17
Production	6,340	$45,150	0.62
Protective Service	6,300	$79,080	1.39
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair	5,330	$60,490	0.73
Personal Care and Service	3,600	$39,410	0.92
Community and Social Service	3,520	$62,820	1.10
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media	2,020	$62,950	0.82
Computer and Mathematical	1,970	$103,990	0.31
Life, Physical, and Social Science	1,590	$96,670	0.90
Architecture and Engineering	1,040	$100,880	0.33
Legal	710	$106,810	0.45

Cities

CITY Official statistic Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Sort:

City ⇅	State ⇅	Population ⇅	Median rent ⇅
Salinas	California	161,761	$1,991

Open jobs

Open private-sector jobs by city of this area:

Salinas

FAQ

How many jobs are there in Salinas, CA?

BLS counts 186,430 wage-and-salary jobs (OEWS, May 2025).

What is the median pay in Salinas, CA?

$47,380 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Which occupation pays most in Salinas, CA?

Family Medicine Physicians, with a median of $410,370 among occupations with at least 300 jobs.

Sources

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