Plasterers and Stucco Masons Salary
The median pay for a plasterers and stucco masons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $68,210/year ($32.79/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $62,066 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 94.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $68K actually covers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, month by month
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 plasterers and stucco masons
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for plasterers and stucco masons, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 94% 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 plasterers and stucco masons in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $58K | $51K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $54K | $50K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $71K | $62K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $61K | $55K |
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 plasterers and stucco masons (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Plasterers and Stucco Masons pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Plasterers and Stucco Masons salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $120K | +108% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $104K | +81% | 110 |
| Minnesota | $103K | +78% | 160 |
| Illinois | $94K | +63% | 270 |
| New Hampshire | $93K | +61% | N/A |
| Missouri | $79K | +38% | 420 |
| Michigan | $73K | +27% | 210 |
| Oregon | $71K | +23% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $70K | +21% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $70K | +21% | 50 |
| Virginia | $64K | +11% | 100 |
| Ohio | $62K | +8% | 180 |
| California | $60K | +4% | 6,780 |
| Maryland | $57K | -1% | 140 |
| Indiana | $54K | -6% | 60 |
| Utah | $54K | -7% | 820 |
| Nevada | $54K | -7% | 1,150 |
| Kansas | $53K | -7% | 80 |
| Washington | $52K | -10% | 440 |
| Texas | $51K | -11% | 1,400 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $50K | -13% | 40 |
| Arizona | $50K | -14% | 1,910 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -14% | N/A |
| Colorado | $48K | -17% | 480 |
| Florida | $47K | -18% | 1,970 |
| Montana | $47K | -19% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -21% | 460 |
Showing 1–10 of 28 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track plasterers and stucco masons salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a plasterers and stucco mason afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 94% 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 $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for plasterers and stucco masons in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new plasterers and stucco masons typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,234/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 130% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is plasterers and stucco mason a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $68K here vs. $58K 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 plasterers and stucco masons?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do plasterers and stucco masons make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $68,210 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,160, and experienced plasterers and stucco masons can clear $103,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,485/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 94% 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 plasterers and stucco masons 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 plasterers and stucco masons salary is worth about $62,066 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do plasterers and stucco masons 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.