How Much Does an MLT Make in Watsonville, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for MLTs 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 MLT in Watsonville, California earns $39.95 per hour, or $83,100 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,925 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $54,890, and the top 10% of earners make over $100,240.
That pay is 9% above the California figure of $76,010 and 32% above the national figure of $62,930. Watsonville ranks 6th of 22 metro areas in California for MLT pay. About 80 MLTs 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.
MLT pay in Watsonville at a glance
- Typical pay is $39.95 an hour, or $83,100 a year.
- That is 9% above the California figure, ranking 6th of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $54,890; the top 10% make over $100,240.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MLT make in Watsonville?
Pay in Watsonville runs from entry-level positions at around $26.39 an hour to more than $48.19 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
MLT pay by career stage in Watsonville
| Career stage | Watsonville | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $54,890$26.39 an hour | $47,580$22.88 an hour | $38,910$18.71 an hour |
| First years | $77,160$37.10 an hour | $56,700$27.26 an hour | $47,650$22.91 an hour |
| Typical MLT | $83,100$39.95 an hour | $76,010$36.54 an hour | $62,930$30.26 an hour |
| Experienced | $86,440$41.56 an hour | $89,480$43.02 an hour | $81,450$39.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $100,240$48.19 an hour | $126,870$60.99 an hour | $100,990$48.55 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
MLT pay growth in Watsonville
Typical (median) annual wage for MLTs 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 MLT pay in Watsonville was $64,530 a year. By 2025 it had reached $83,100.
How Watsonville compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays MLTs the most in California at $86,250 a year, $3,150 more than Watsonville. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $51,500.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Watsonville | MLTs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $86,250 | $41.46 | +4% | 220 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $84,870 | $40.80 | +2% | 1,870 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $84,200 | $40.48 | +1% | 340 |
| 4 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $84,130 | $40.45 | +1% | 5,210 |
| 5 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $83,150 | $39.98 | 0% | 2,020 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $83,100 | $39.95 | this city | 80 |
| 7 | Redding | $81,220 | $39.05 | -2% | 80 |
| 8 | Napa | $80,070 | $38.50 | -4% | 50 |
| 9 | Oxnard metro incl. Ventura · Thousand Oaks | $76,920 | $36.98 | -7% | 270 |
| 10 | Modesto | $76,110 | $36.59 | -8% | 360 |
| 11 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $74,840 | $35.98 | -10% | 370 |
| 12 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $67,430 | $32.42 | -19% | 10,150 |
| 13 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $63,770 | $30.66 | -23% | 2,740 |
| 14 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $63,210 | $30.39 | -24% | 360 |
| 15 | Salinas | $62,770 | $30.18 | -24% | 110 |
| 16 | Fresno | $62,160 | $29.88 | -25% | 600 |
| 17 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $62,040 | $29.83 | -25% | 70 |
| 18 | Riverside metro incl. Ontario · San Bernardino | $61,910 | $29.77 | -25% | 1,530 |
| 19 | Chico | $59,520 | $28.62 | -28% | 170 |
| 20 | El Centro | $58,240 | $28.00 | -30% | 50 |
| 21 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $53,640 | $25.79 | -35% | 240 |
| 22 | Visalia | $51,500 | $24.76 | -38% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with MLT wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $76,010
Is Watsonville a good place to work as an MLT?
MLTs in Watsonville earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $83,100 a year, 32% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 0.8 are MLT positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.1. That makes MLTs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MLT make in Watsonville, CA?
- A typical MLT in Watsonville earns $83,100 a year, or $39.95 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $54,890 and the top 10% earn over $100,240.
- How much does an MLT make an hour in Watsonville?
- Typical hourly pay for MLTs in Watsonville is $39.95. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $26.39, and the top 10% earn over $48.19 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MLT in Watsonville?
- Entry-level MLT positions in Watsonville typically offer around $26.39 an hour, or $54,890 a year.
- Is MLT pay in Watsonville higher than in the rest of California?
- Watsonville pay is 9% above the California figure of $76,010 a year, ranking 6th of 22 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $86,250.