Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Salary
The median pay for a sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $131,520/year ($63.23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $260K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $119,672 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 54.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $132K 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $105K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 54.8% 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $107K | $94K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $131K | $113K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $168K | $152K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $126K | $112K |
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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $132K. Top earners bring in $260K or more, a $200K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $135K | +29% | 4,150 |
| New Jersey | $131K | +25% | 5,600 |
| Kansas | $131K | +25% | 2,440 |
| New York | $129K | +23% | 10,500 |
| Georgia | $129K | +23% | 5,700 |
| Virginia | $128K | +22% | 6,060 |
| Washington | $127K | +21% | 9,960 |
| Hawaii | $126K | +20% | 540 |
| Michigan | $126K | +20% | 9,140 |
| North Carolina | $125K | +19% | 11,990 |
| California | $124K | +18% | 27,590 |
| Louisiana | $124K | +18% | 2,340 |
| Massachusetts | $119K | +13% | 11,650 |
| Rhode Island | $118K | +12% | 530 |
| Oregon | $114K | +8% | 3,040 |
| South Carolina | $111K | +6% | 3,760 |
| Ohio | $108K | +3% | 9,870 |
| Delaware | $108K | +3% | 960 |
| Florida | $108K | +3% | 19,840 |
| Illinois | $108K | +3% | 7,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $104K | -1% | 7,190 |
| Iowa | $103K | -1% | 2,580 |
| Minnesota | $103K | -2% | 4,960 |
| Indiana | $103K | -2% | 4,370 |
| North Dakota | $103K | -2% | 510 |
| Maine | $102K | -3% | N/A |
| Idaho | $101K | -3% | 1,880 |
| Wyoming | $101K | -4% | 280 |
| Arizona | $101K | -4% | 8,860 |
| Texas | $99K | -6% | 44,400 |
| Nevada | $99K | -6% | 1,880 |
| Connecticut | $98K | -7% | 2,980 |
| New Hampshire | $98K | -7% | 2,660 |
| Kentucky | $98K | -7% | 4,170 |
| West Virginia | $97K | -7% | 760 |
| Vermont | $96K | -9% | 410 |
| Maryland | $95K | -9% | 6,330 |
| Missouri | $95K | -10% | 5,060 |
| Tennessee | $94K | -10% | 8,290 |
| District of Columbia | $93K | -11% | 600 |
| New Mexico | $87K | -17% | 980 |
| Alabama | $87K | -17% | 2,780 |
| Nebraska | $84K | -20% | 1,700 |
| Montana | $84K | -20% | 690 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | -25% | 3,390 |
| Alaska | $77K | -27% | 440 |
| Mississippi | $75K | -29% | 810 |
| Oklahoma | $72K | -31% | 3,970 |
| Arkansas | $72K | -32% | 1,520 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $132K, rent takes 54.8% 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 $2,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,599/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 117% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific product a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $132K here vs. $105K 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $132K median vs. the U.S. average of $105K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $120K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $131,520 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,990, and experienced sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products can clear $260,220. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $132K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,690/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 54.8% 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products 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 sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products salary is worth about $119,672 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products 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.
