Salary guide, May 2025
Firmware / Embedded Engineer pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Software Developers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $156,910 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $124,210 and $175,720.
The Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median is $20,930 above the national median of $135,980, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 15-1252 Software Developers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
What should you know about santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $92,520 | $124,210 | $156,910 | $175,720 | $209,260 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $44.48 | $59.72 | $75.44 | $84.48 | $100.61 |
BLS estimated 540 workers employed in this occupation in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Location quotient: 0.51.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $82,460 | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 | $214,670 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39.64 | $50.58 | $65.38 | $82.68 | $103.21 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Firmware / Embedded Engineer median is $156,910. The all-occupations median in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $54,730. Ratio: 2.87 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.51 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $108,820 | $138,740 | $170,770 |
| May 2025 | $124,210 | $156,910 | $175,720 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1252 Software Developers, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1252 Software Developers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $213,110 | $173,650 to $226,080 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,640 | $163,500 to $219,670 |
All roles in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA · National page · Firmware / Embedded Engineer ranked across metros