Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salary
The median pay for a automotive and watercraft service attendants in California is $41,770/year ($20.08/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $39,354 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 85.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in California?
About automotive and watercraft service attendants
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for automotive and watercraft service attendants, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 85.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level automotive and watercraft service attendants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants salary by metro in California
23 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $46K | +10% | 1,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $45K | +8% | 460 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $44K | +6% | 150 |
| Salinas | $42K | +1% | 120 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $41K | -3% | 1,130 |
| Modesto | $40K | -4% | 160 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $40K | -4% | 50 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $40K | -5% | 110 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $40K | -5% | 680 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $40K | -5% | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $39K | -6% | 2,830 |
| Vallejo | $39K | -8% | 170 |
| Fresno | $38K | -8% | 330 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $38K | -8% | 310 |
| Visalia | $38K | -9% | 160 |
| Yuba City | $38K | -9% | 60 |
| Redding | $38K | -9% | 100 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $38K | -9% | 190 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $38K | -9% | 1,290 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $37K | -11% | 230 |
| Chico | $37K | -11% | 100 |
| Merced | $37K | -12% | 60 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $37K | -12% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive and watercraft service attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 85.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive and watercraft service attendants in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive and watercraft service attendants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,182/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 113% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive and watercraft service attendant a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $42K here vs. $36K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for automotive and watercraft service attendants?
California pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make in California?
The median is $41,770 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,360, and experienced automotive and watercraft service attendants can clear $50,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,896/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 85.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a automotive and watercraft service attendants salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive and watercraft service attendants salary is worth about $39,354 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive and watercraft service attendants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.