How Much Does a Home Health Aide Make in Watsonville, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Home Health Aides in Watsonville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Santa Cruz · Watsonville metro area
A typical Home Health Aide in Watsonville, California earns $16.50 per hour, or $34,320 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $2,860 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $34,320, and the top 10% of earners make over $45,560.
That pay is right at the California figure of $34,320 and 4% below the national figure of $35,800. Watsonville ranks 13th of 25 metro areas in California for Home Health Aide pay. About 4,470 Home Health Aides work in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area. Watsonville is part of the Santa Cruz · Watsonville metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Santa Cruz share these figures.
Home Health Aide pay in Watsonville at a glance
- Typical pay is $16.50 an hour, or $34,320 a year.
- That is right at the California figure, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $34,320; the top 10% make over $45,560.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Home Health Aide make in Watsonville?
Pay in Watsonville runs from entry-level positions at around $16.50 an hour to more than $21.91 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Home Health Aide pay by career stage in Watsonville
| Career stage | Watsonville | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $27,040$13.00 an hour |
| First years | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $31,920$15.35 an hour |
| Typical Home Health Aide | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $34,320$16.50 an hour | $35,800$17.21 an hour |
| Experienced | $40,650$19.54 an hour | $36,550$17.57 an hour | $39,470$18.98 an hour |
| Top 10% | $45,560$21.91 an hour | $39,260$18.87 an hour | $45,040$21.65 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
Home Health Aide pay growth in Watsonville
Typical (median) annual wage for Home Health Aides in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2019 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2019, typical Home Health Aide pay in Watsonville was $28,420 a year. By 2025 it had reached $34,320.
How Watsonville compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Home Health Aides the most in California at $37,640 a year, $3,320 more than Watsonville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Merced at $34,320.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Watsonville | Home Health Aides employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $37,640 | $18.09 | +10% | 49,610 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $36,850 | $17.72 | +7% | 10,150 |
| 3 | Fremont metro incl. San Francisco · Oakland | $35,950 | $17.28 | +5% | 119,120 |
| 4 | Chula Vista | $35,300 | $16.97 | +3% | 57,080 |
| 5 | Modesto | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 9,160 |
| 6 | Napa | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 2,900 |
| 7 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 15,250 |
| 8 | Redding | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 5,500 |
| 9 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 102,760 |
| 10 | Sacramento | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 60,350 |
| 11 | Salinas | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 6,740 |
| 12 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 4,160 |
| 13 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $34,320 | $16.50 | this city | 4,470 |
| 14 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 6,470 |
| 15 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 12,580 |
| 16 | Vallejo | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 7,850 |
| 17 | Visalia | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 8,220 |
| 18 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 17,270 |
| 19 | Yuba City | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 3,120 |
| 20 | Chico | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 5,940 |
| 21 | El Centro | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 8,020 |
| 22 | Fresno | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 33,580 |
| 23 | Hanford metro incl. Corcoran | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 3,250 |
| 24 | Los Angeles metro incl. Long Beach · Anaheim | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 385,530 |
| 25 | Merced | $34,320 | $16.50 | 0% | 4,990 |
Every metro area in California with Home Health Aide wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $34,320
Is Watsonville a good place to work as a Home Health Aide?
Home Health Aide pay in Watsonville sits close to the national figure: $34,320 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 45 are Home Health Aide positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 28. That makes the local economy more reliant on Home Health Aides than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Home Health Aide make in Watsonville, CA?
- A typical Home Health Aide in Watsonville earns $34,320 a year, or $16.50 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $34,320 and the top 10% earn over $45,560.
- How much does a Home Health Aide make an hour in Watsonville?
- Typical hourly pay for Home Health Aides in Watsonville is $16.50. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $16.50, and the top 10% earn over $21.91 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Home Health Aide in Watsonville?
- Entry-level Home Health Aide positions in Watsonville typically offer around $16.50 an hour, or $34,320 a year.
- Is Home Health Aide pay in Watsonville higher than in the rest of California?
- Watsonville pay is right at the California figure of $34,320 a year, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $37,640.