Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers Salary
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers earn $48,000 at the median, or about $23.08 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $43,676 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 127.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 128.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $45K | $40K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $42K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $47K | $41K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $45K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $55K | +38% | 110 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +17% | 660 |
| Washington | $46K | +16% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +15% | 560 |
| Alaska | $46K | +15% | 550 |
| Colorado | $46K | +15% | 1,190 |
| Arizona | $46K | +15% | 1,770 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | +14% | 140 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +13% | 1,110 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +13% | 100 |
| California | $45K | +13% | 9,050 |
| Connecticut | $44K | +12% | 1,050 |
| Utah | $44K | +12% | 410 |
| New York | $44K | +11% | 5,310 |
| Michigan | $44K | +10% | 2,180 |
| Oregon | $43K | +9% | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $43K | +8% | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $42K | +6% | 1,290 |
| Maryland | $42K | +5% | 1,770 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | +5% | 1,640 |
| Pennsylvania | $42K | +5% | 2,540 |
| New Jersey | $41K | +4% | 3,050 |
| Delaware | $41K | +2% | 360 |
| Ohio | $40K | +1% | 1,550 |
| Illinois | $40K | +0% | 1,750 |
| Maine | $40K | -0% | 280 |
| Montana | $39K | -1% | 400 |
| Idaho | $39K | -1% | 430 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -2% | 340 |
| Virginia | $39K | -2% | 3,100 |
| Florida | $39K | -2% | 5,520 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -2% | 4,400 |
| Iowa | $39K | -2% | 990 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -3% | 2,540 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -3% | 2,160 |
| Indiana | $37K | -5% | 1,160 |
| Kansas | $37K | -6% | 440 |
| Missouri | $37K | -6% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -7% | 900 |
| Texas | $37K | -7% | 16,610 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -7% | 770 |
| Georgia | $37K | -8% | 3,100 |
| Nevada | $37K | -8% | 1,030 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -9% | 3,910 |
| Alabama | $36K | -9% | 1,710 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -10% | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -10% | 350 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -11% | 960 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -15% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $31K | -21% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 128.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,221/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 190% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair worker a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $48K here vs. $40K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $48,000 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,020, and experienced helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers can clear $60,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,286/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 128.2% 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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (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 helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers salary is worth about $43,676 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers 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.