Salary guide, May 2025
Horizontal Boring Mill (HBM) Machinist 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 Machinists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $51,420 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $44,450 and $67,010.
The Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median is $7,330 below the national median of $58,750, both from BLS May 2025.
Direct match · SOC 51-4041 Machinists
Horizontal Boring Mill (HBM) Machinist is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
What should you know about santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,650 | $44,450 | $51,420 | $67,010 | $92,140 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.58 | $21.37 | $24.72 | $32.22 | $44.30 |
BLS estimated 70 workers employed in this occupation in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Location quotient: 0.38.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,200 | $47,570 | $58,750 | $67,700 | $80,010 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.85 | $22.87 | $28.24 | $32.55 | $38.47 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Horizontal Boring Mill (HBM) Machinist median is $51,420. The all-occupations median in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $54,730. Ratio: 0.94 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.38 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 | $45,890 | $52,500 | $64,510 |
| May 2025 | $44,450 | $51,420 | $67,010 |
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 51-4041 Machinists, 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 51-4041 Machinists, 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 | $63,540 | $51,480 to $81,470 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $67,750 | $56,990 to $91,080 |
All roles in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA · National page · Horizontal Boring Mill (HBM) Machinist ranked across metros