Industrial Machinery Mechanics Salary
Industrial Machinery Mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $70,790 a year, or about $34.03 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $64,413 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 91.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $71K 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 industrial machinery mechanics
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Industrial machinery mechanics pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville tracks closely to the national median, $71K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 91.2% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $72K | $63K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $73K | $69K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $91K | $78K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $67K | $60K |
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 industrial machinery mechanics (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $71K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Machinery Mechanics pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Machinery Mechanics salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $88K | +36% | 200 |
| Wyoming | $78K | +21% | 2,010 |
| Nevada | $78K | +21% | 2,240 |
| Alaska | $77K | +20% | 860 |
| Hawaii | $77K | +20% | 910 |
| Washington | $77K | +20% | 10,710 |
| Illinois | $76K | +18% | 12,100 |
| Oregon | $76K | +17% | 7,070 |
| Colorado | $76K | +17% | 7,260 |
| Arizona | $75K | +16% | 5,020 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +16% | 8,380 |
| California | $74K | +15% | 26,830 |
| Massachusetts | $73K | +13% | 6,130 |
| Maine | $72K | +12% | 1,190 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +12% | 6,510 |
| Maryland | $72K | +11% | 2,880 |
| Utah | $71K | +10% | 4,040 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +8% | 2,360 |
| New York | $70K | +8% | 12,740 |
| Missouri | $67K | +4% | 5,420 |
| Delaware | $67K | +4% | 890 |
| Montana | $67K | +4% | 820 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | +3% | 13,870 |
| North Dakota | $66K | +2% | 2,560 |
| Kansas | $66K | +2% | 7,700 |
| Ohio | $65K | +1% | 21,950 |
| Tennessee | $65K | +1% | 12,850 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +0% | 1,070 |
| Kentucky | $65K | +0% | 11,540 |
| Iowa | $64K | -0% | 6,050 |
| Michigan | $64K | -0% | 17,310 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -1% | 1,950 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -1% | 2,880 |
| Virginia | $64K | -1% | 9,470 |
| Indiana | $64K | -1% | 14,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -1% | 22,160 |
| Vermont | $63K | -2% | 700 |
| Idaho | $63K | -3% | 2,750 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -3% | 15,720 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -3% | 9,890 |
| Texas | $62K | -4% | 56,950 |
| Alabama | $62K | -4% | 17,850 |
| West Virginia | $62K | -4% | 3,150 |
| South Dakota | $62K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -5% | 6,250 |
| Georgia | $61K | -5% | 14,230 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -6% | 2,780 |
| Florida | $61K | -6% | 17,120 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -7% | 7,410 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -7% | 6,270 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -10% | 4,460 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track industrial machinery mechanics salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial machinery mechanic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $71K, rent takes 91.2% 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 $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for industrial machinery mechanics in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial machinery mechanics typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,917/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 144% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial machinery mechanic a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $71K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for industrial machinery mechanics?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $71K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do industrial machinery mechanics make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $70,790 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,610, and experienced industrial machinery mechanics can clear $96,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $71K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,619/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 91.2% 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 industrial machinery mechanics 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 industrial machinery mechanics salary is worth about $64,413 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial machinery mechanics 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.