Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders Salary — Santa Cruz, California

The average Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders in Santa Cruz, California earns $44,320 a year.

$44,320 / year, mean
↓ 1.0% below national average 38th percentile in California

Santa Cruz pays below most of California for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's close to the national average for packaging and filling machine operators and tenders — a fairly typical rate for this role. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
390
Estimate confidence
RSE 1.1%
Cost of living 110 #10 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $1,157,157 #2 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $109,266 #6 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Santa Cruz ranks #10 for cost of living and #2 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Salisbury $61,560 Battle Creek $56,530 Owensboro $56,140 Decatur $54,800 Napa $52,660 Lancaster $52,350 Modesto $52,000 Traverse City $51,520 Williamsport $51,130 Trenton $50,980 Harrisonburg $50,090 Sacramento $49,930 San Jose $49,780 Kalamazoo $49,570 Albany $49,450 Hanford $49,330 San Francisco $49,270 Baltimore $48,840 Bend $48,230 Louisville $48,060 Lynchburg $48,000 Portland $47,860 Mount Vernon $47,450 York $47,330 Charlottesville $47,320 Allentown $47,310 Bakersfield $47,160 Richmond $47,120 Harrisburg $46,920 Binghamton $46,830 Stockton $46,780 Vallejo $46,510 Santa Rosa $46,450 Eugene $46,430 Longview $46,250 Syracuse $46,080 Scranton $46,070 Chico $45,980 Wheeling $45,970 Merced $45,840 Charleston $45,830 Seattle $45,790 Los Angeles $45,720 Elmira $45,630 Johnstown $45,620 Hagerstown $45,540 Kankakee $45,370 Ann Arbor $45,320 Chicago $45,270 Chambersburg $45,240 Salinas $44,940 Medford $44,930 Philadelphia $44,920 Spokane $44,920 Indianapolis $44,870 Riverside $44,790 Grand Rapids $44,670 Bowling Green $44,660 Yakima $44,490 Monroe $44,390 Santa Cruz $44,320 Albany $44,260 Evansville $44,200 Champaign $44,070 San Luis Obispo $44,070 Lafayette $44,000 Fort Wayne $43,940 Buffalo $43,930 Reading $43,870 Rochester $43,800 San Diego $43,740 Bloomington $43,690 Lexington $43,600 Grants Pass $43,400 Killeen $43,400 Visalia $43,400 State College $43,380 Jacksonville $43,360 New York $43,330 Saginaw $43,290 Kiryas Joel $43,260 Austin $43,240 Columbus $43,150 Dallas $43,120 Kennewick $42,820 Pittsburgh $42,820 Oxnard $42,750 Blacksburg $42,720 Bay City $42,690 Gettysburg $42,620 Yuba City $42,610 San Antonio $42,510 Bloomington $42,420 Santa Maria $42,420 Wichita Falls $42,370 Fresno $42,360 South Bend $42,360 Lakeland $42,230 Winchester $42,170 Detroit $42,130 Vineland $42,110 Elizabethtown $42,060 Amarillo $42,030 Houston $41,740 Wenatchee $41,740 Sherman $41,710 Muskegon $41,670 Sarasota $41,670 Rockford $41,590 Ithaca $41,550 Olympia $41,440 Lansing $41,280 Paducah $41,270 Dover $41,240 Kingston $41,230 Walla Walla $41,080 Gainesville $41,060 Bellingham $41,010 Terre Haute $41,000 Orlando $40,930 Atlantic City $40,910 Virginia Beach $40,710 Redding $40,700 Erie $40,650 Lebanon $40,590 Michigan City $40,570 Peoria $40,550 Roanoke $40,540 Tampa $40,450 Salem $40,010 Elkhart $39,930 Huntington $39,540 Flint $39,500 Altoona $39,480 Ocala $39,410 Utica $39,380 Waco $38,870 College Station $38,760 Niles $38,640 Midland $38,520 Glens Falls $38,490 Miami $37,890 Fort Myers $37,510 Texarkana $37,430 Lubbock $36,880 Deltona $36,770 Tallahassee $36,620 Port St. Lucie $36,430 Beaumont $36,130 Palm Bay $36,030 Tyler $35,900 San Angelo $35,440 Muncie $35,350 El Paso $35,180 Longview $34,860 McAllen $33,220 Brownsville $30,930 Laredo $29,170
CityMean salaryvs. Santa Cruz
Albany, Oregon$44,260-0.1%
Albany, New York$49,450+11.6%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$47,310+6.7%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$39,480-10.9%
Amarillo, Texas$42,030-5.2%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$45,320+2.3%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$40,910-7.7%
Austin, Texas$43,240-2.4%
Bakersfield, California$47,160+6.4%
Baltimore, Maryland$48,840+10.2%
Battle Creek, Michigan$56,530+27.5%
Bay City, Michigan$42,690-3.7%
Beaumont, Texas$36,130-18.5%
Bellingham, Washington$41,010-7.5%
Bend, Oregon$48,230+8.8%
Binghamton, New York$46,830+5.7%
Blacksburg, Virginia$42,720-3.6%
Bloomington, Illinois$43,690-1.4%
Bloomington, Indiana$42,420-4.3%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$44,660+0.8%
Brownsville, Texas$30,930-30.2%
Buffalo, New York$43,930-0.9%
Fort Myers, Florida$37,510-15.4%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$45,240+2.1%
Champaign, Illinois$44,070-0.6%
Charleston, West Virginia$45,830+3.4%
Charlottesville, Virginia$47,320+6.8%
Chicago, Illinois$45,270+2.1%
Chico, California$45,980+3.7%
College Station, Texas$38,760-12.5%
Columbus, Indiana$43,150-2.6%
Dallas, Texas$43,120-2.7%
Decatur, Illinois$54,800+23.6%
Deltona, Florida$36,770-17.0%
Detroit, Michigan$42,130-4.9%
Dover, Delaware$41,240-6.9%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$42,060-5.1%
Elkhart, Indiana$39,930-9.9%
Elmira, New York$45,630+3.0%
El Paso, Texas$35,180-20.6%
Erie, Pennsylvania$40,650-8.3%
Eugene, Oregon$46,430+4.8%
Evansville, Indiana$44,200-0.3%
Flint, Michigan$39,500-10.9%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$43,940-0.9%
Fresno, California$42,360-4.4%
Gainesville, Florida$41,060-7.4%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$42,620-3.8%
Glens Falls, New York$38,490-13.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$44,670+0.8%
Grants Pass, Oregon$43,400-2.1%
Hagerstown, Maryland$45,540+2.8%
Hanford, California$49,330+11.3%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$46,920+5.9%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$50,090+13.0%
Houston, Texas$41,740-5.8%
Huntington, West Virginia$39,540-10.8%
Indianapolis, Indiana$44,870+1.2%
Ithaca, New York$41,550-6.2%
Jacksonville, Florida$43,360-2.2%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$45,620+2.9%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$49,570+11.8%
Kankakee, Illinois$45,370+2.4%
Kennewick, Washington$42,820-3.4%
Killeen, Texas$43,400-2.1%
Kingston, New York$41,230-7.0%
Kiryas Joel, New York$43,260-2.4%
Lafayette, Indiana$44,000-0.7%
Lakeland, Florida$42,230-4.7%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$52,350+18.1%
Lansing, Michigan$41,280-6.9%
Laredo, Texas$29,170-34.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$40,590-8.4%
Lexington, Kentucky$43,600-1.6%
Longview, Texas$34,860-21.3%
Longview, Washington$46,250+4.4%
Los Angeles, California$45,720+3.2%
Louisville, Kentucky$48,060+8.4%
Lubbock, Texas$36,880-16.8%
Lynchburg, Virginia$48,000+8.3%
McAllen, Texas$33,220-25.0%
Medford, Oregon$44,930+1.4%
Merced, California$45,840+3.4%
Miami, Florida$37,890-14.5%
Michigan City, Indiana$40,570-8.5%
Midland, Texas$38,520-13.1%
Modesto, California$52,000+17.3%
Monroe, Michigan$44,390+0.2%
Mount Vernon, Washington$47,450+7.1%
Muncie, Indiana$35,350-20.2%
Muskegon, Michigan$41,670-6.0%
Napa, California$52,660+18.8%
New York, New York$43,330-2.2%
Niles, Michigan$38,640-12.8%
Sarasota, Florida$41,670-6.0%
Ocala, Florida$39,410-11.1%
Olympia, Washington$41,440-6.5%
Orlando, Florida$40,930-7.6%
Owensboro, Kentucky$56,140+26.7%
Oxnard, California$42,750-3.5%
Paducah, Kentucky$41,270-6.9%
Palm Bay, Florida$36,030-18.7%
Peoria, Illinois$40,550-8.5%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$44,920+1.4%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$42,820-3.4%
Portland, Oregon$47,860+8.0%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$36,430-17.8%
Reading, Pennsylvania$43,870-1.0%
Redding, California$40,700-8.2%
Richmond, Virginia$47,120+6.3%
Riverside, California$44,790+1.1%
Roanoke, Virginia$40,540-8.5%
Rochester, New York$43,800-1.2%
Rockford, Illinois$41,590-6.2%
Sacramento, California$49,930+12.7%
Saginaw, Michigan$43,290-2.3%
Salem, Oregon$40,010-9.7%
Salinas, California$44,940+1.4%
Salisbury, Maryland$61,560+38.9%
San Angelo, Texas$35,440-20.0%
San Antonio, Texas$42,510-4.1%
San Diego, California$43,740-1.3%
San Francisco, California$49,270+11.2%
San Jose, California$49,780+12.3%
San Luis Obispo, California$44,070-0.6%
Santa Maria, California$42,420-4.3%
Santa Rosa, California$46,450+4.8%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$46,070+3.9%
Seattle, Washington$45,790+3.3%
Sherman, Texas$41,710-5.9%
South Bend, Indiana$42,360-4.4%
Spokane, Washington$44,920+1.4%
State College, Pennsylvania$43,380-2.1%
Stockton, California$46,780+5.6%
Syracuse, New York$46,080+4.0%
Tallahassee, Florida$36,620-17.4%
Tampa, Florida$40,450-8.7%
Terre Haute, Indiana$41,000-7.5%
Texarkana, Texas$37,430-15.5%
Traverse City, Michigan$51,520+16.2%
Trenton, New Jersey$50,980+15.0%
Tyler, Texas$35,900-19.0%
Utica, New York$39,380-11.1%
Vallejo, California$46,510+4.9%
Vineland, New Jersey$42,110-5.0%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$40,710-8.1%
Visalia, California$43,400-2.1%
Waco, Texas$38,870-12.3%
Walla Walla, Washington$41,080-7.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$41,740-5.8%
Wheeling, West Virginia$45,970+3.7%
Wichita Falls, Texas$42,370-4.4%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$51,130+15.4%
Winchester, Virginia$42,170-4.9%
Yakima, Washington$44,490+0.4%
York, Pennsylvania$47,330+6.8%
Yuba City, California$42,610-3.9%
Gross salary
44,320/yr
Estimated take-home
36,883/yr
Est. total withheld
16.8%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders salaries in California → All Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Santa Cruz

These notes add local color around Santa Cruz, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 51-9111 SOC code
Official area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 42100 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
Watsonville
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
266,021