Jobs, pay and daily life in Salinas, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Salinas is a city in California with 161,761 residents. The median household earns $91,908 a year and the median rent is $1,991 a month, which is 26.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Salinas, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 186,430 jobs.
How Salinas compares. Among the 145 places in California, Salinas is #33 by population, #145 for remote work (#1 = most), #133 for college degrees (#1 = most), #117 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Monterey County, is #25 of 58 counties for average pay ($61,375).
Salinas has 161,761 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of California. It covers 24 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,879 people per square mile. The median age is 32.4, 15% younger than the state median (32.4 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $1,991 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,991 against $2,036). Over a year that is 26.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $654,100, which is 7.1 times the median household income ($91,908); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 47.0% of households own their home, 16% below the state average (47.0% against 55.9%).
The Salinas, CA metropolitan area has 186,430 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,380 a year, 7% below the national median ($47,380 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are farming, fishing, and forestry (29,450 jobs, median $36,920); food preparation and serving related (18,270 jobs, median $40,340); transportation and material moving (15,720 jobs, median $40,380). The area is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (56.4 times) and protective service (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($120,220) and management ($119,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Monterey County was 5.5%. 61.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Monterey County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.2% drive alone, 0.7% use public transit, 1.1% walk, 4.3% work from home. 13.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 31% below the state average (13.5% against 19.4%).
16.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56% below the state share (16.5% against 37.1%). 37.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 39% above the state share (37.5% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 13.6%, 13% above the state rate (13.6% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Sep, averaging 62°F (16.4°C), and the coolest is Feb at 52°F (11.2°C). About 479 mm (19 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (106 mm) and Jul the driest (1 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Gilroy (22 miles, rent 16% higher); Morgan Hill (31 miles, rent 24% higher); Los Gatos (41 miles, rent 63% higher); San Jose (43 miles, rent 34% higher). Rent differences are against Salinas; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,708) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideMonterey CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,708 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 26,830 | 84.30 | $36,700 | $35,140 | $47,450 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6,740 | 1.31 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $38,660 | -4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,180 | 0.90 | $43,260 | $35,290 | $46,790 | +39% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,110 | 0.88 | $37,970 | $35,420 | $49,460 | +7% |
| Cashiers | 4,020 | 1.08 | $37,080 | $35,490 | $48,290 | +13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 3,890 | 1.10 | $39,110 | $36,080 | $49,050 | -3% |
| Registered Nurses | 3,180 | 0.79 | $134,910 | $102,300 | $176,990 | +38% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,100 | 1.14 | $35,540 | $34,320 | $73,940 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,790 | 0.95 | $48,340 | $36,140 | $68,940 | +7% |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 2,700 | 4.02 | $35,480 | $34,820 | $39,570 | -2% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,600 | 0.62 | $105,680 | $54,170 | $223,970 | -0% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 2,290 | 1.34 | $48,030 | $38,660 | $59,930 | +31% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,280 | 1.37 | $100,220 | $64,050 | $125,450 | +57% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,140 | 0.87 | $53,390 | $38,480 | $76,970 | -9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,910 | 1.13 | $44,930 | $37,150 | $57,980 | +20% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,890 | 0.71 | $43,570 | $36,100 | $59,500 | +18% |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,890 | 1.83 | $38,810 | $35,520 | $60,220 | +9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,860 | 0.55 | $39,200 | $35,620 | $56,860 | +5% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 1,590 | 1.39 | $46,550 | $37,490 | $61,360 | +19% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,550 | 0.85 | $50,760 | $37,070 | $79,110 | +2% |
These figures are for the whole Salinas, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,380 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 18.6% |
| Retail trade | 10.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.5% |
| Construction | 7.3% |
| Manufacturing | 5.4% |
| Public administration | 4.7% |
| Other services | 4.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 3.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Salinas lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County | 437,613 | $38,345 million | $87,624 | 200,244 | 15,844 | $61,375 | +1.7% | 5.5% | 227,565 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 55,530 | 33.6% | $47,473 | 34.26 |
| Accommodation and food services | 22,555 | 13.7% | $39,926 | 1.24 |
| Health care and social assistance | 20,480 | 12.4% | $69,504 | 0.71 |
| Retail trade | 16,085 | 9.7% | $44,749 | 0.80 |
| Construction | 7,563 | 4.6% | $75,820 | 0.72 |
| Administrative and waste services | 7,358 | 4.5% | $46,246 | 0.62 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,690 | 3.4% | $90,508 | 0.72 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5,566 | 3.4% | $49,937 | 0.92 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,078 | 3.1% | $89,760 | 0.36 |
| Manufacturing | 4,682 | 2.8% | $63,927 | 0.28 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 3,017 | 1.8% | $48,501 | 0.90 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,960 | 1.8% | $63,831 | 0.35 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,052 | 1.2% | $63,296 | 0.66 |
| Educational services | 2,046 | 1.2% | $55,930 | 0.49 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,044 | 1.2% | $119,749 | 0.25 |
| Information | 853 | 0.5% | $80,962 | 0.23 |
| Management of companies | 786 | 0.5% | $123,524 | 0.23 |
| Utilities | 593 | 0.4% | $176,128 | 0.78 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 211 | 0.1% | $137,074 | 0.28 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.2% |
| Public transit | 0.7% |
| Walk | 1.1% |
| Work from home | 4.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 13.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,908 |
| Income per person | $29,650 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,991 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 26.0% |
| Median home value | $654,100 |
| Homeowners | 47.0% |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 109.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,380 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 32.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 62.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 16.5% |
| Born abroad | 37.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.3 | 52 | 86 |
| Feb | 11.2 | 52 | 86 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 53 | 70 |
| Apr | 12.0 | 54 | 36 |
| May | 13.1 | 56 | 14 |
| Jun | 14.4 | 58 | 4 |
| Jul | 15.5 | 60 | 1 |
| Aug | 16.0 | 61 | 1 |
| Sep | 16.4 | 62 | 4 |
| Oct | 15.5 | 60 | 23 |
| Nov | 13.3 | 56 | 48 |
| Dec | 11.4 | 53 | 106 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilroy | CA | 22 mi | 59,004 | $133,107 | $2,301 |
| Morgan Hill | CA | 31 mi | 45,425 | $163,920 | $2,474 |
| Los Gatos | CA | 41 mi | 32,786 | $217,554 | $3,247 |
| San Jose | CA | 43 mi | 990,138 | $146,427 | $2,669 |
| Campbell | CA | 44 mi | 42,781 | $145,268 | $2,737 |
| Saratoga | CA | 45 mi | 30,319 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Cupertino | CA | 49 mi | 58,566 | $234,707 | $3,501 |
| Santa Clara | CA | 50 mi | 130,256 | $178,958 | $3,016 |
| Sunnyvale | CA | 53 mi | 154,236 | $186,170 | $3,039 |
| Milpitas | CA | 53 mi | 78,578 | $178,798 | $3,120 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
161,761 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,991 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 26.0% of the median household income.
$91,908 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.5% (BLS county, Monterey County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.