Industrial Machinery Mechanics in the Santa Cruz area earn a median of $70,790 a year, 11% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #104 of 388 metros for industrial machinery mechanic pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in San Jose and San Francisco.
It's one of 25 California metros with published pay for this trade; see industrial machinery mechanics across California.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for industrial machinery mechanics here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, but high local prices take back much of it: on buying power it's below average. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (6.3%) and the population is shrinking (-4.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 21 one-person industrial machinery repair businesses averaging $76,000 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $84/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Santa Cruz scorecard for industrial machinery mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Santa Cruz with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($63,865).
Pay over time
The median pay for industrial machinery mechanics in the Santa Cruz area went from $58,870 in 2020 to $70,790 in 2025, up 20.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -4.1% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among industrial machinery mechanics in Santa Cruz.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Santa Cruz Our calculation
Prices in Santa Cruz run 10% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $64,415 would in a typical place, ranking #302 of 382 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Santa Cruz from this pay, local rent and prices.
What industrial machinery mechanics do
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
- Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanic jobs are projected to grow 17.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 44,400 openings a year. About 1% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often industrial machinery mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for industrial machinery mechanics.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for industrial machinery mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, industrial machinery mechanics have 54 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 38% below the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for industrial machinery mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $90,580 | $78,348 | 2,550 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $84,620 | $76,633 | 920 |
| NapaCALIFORNIA · CA | $81,320 | $72,250 | 180 |
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $78,370 | $75,278 | 810 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $78,200 | $72,088 | 520 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $77,630 | $72,776 | 1,050 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $77,020 | $71,458 | 260 |
| StocktonCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,140 | $72,453 | 740 |
| El CentroCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,890 | $79,738 | 180 |
| BakersfieldCALIFORNIA · CA | $73,680 | $73,033 | 910 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Santa Cruz area's unemployment rate was 6.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just industrial machinery mechanics), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.7% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Santa Cruz area is 27 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 21% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 68% drive alone, 2% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Santa Cruz area's population shrank 4.7% from 2020 to 2025 (271,758 → 258,852), ranking #387 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -13,414).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
New construction
New-home permits in Santa Cruz are down 21% from 2021 to 2025 (598 → 470).
In 2025 the Santa Cruz area approved permits for 470 new homes (163 single-family), or 1.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #310 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 21 one-person businesses (no employees) in industrial machinery repair, averaging $76,000 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Santa Cruz compares among the best cities to start an industrial machinery mechanic business.
They compete with 13 industrial machinery repair companies that have employees (about 41 workers in total). 85% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Santa Cruz Government data
2 schools in or near Santa Cruz offer heavy and industrial equipment maintenance programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foothill College Los Altos Hills, CA · Public | Certificate | $11,966 | 10 | — |
| San Jose City College San Jose, CA · Public | Certificate | $25,157 | 1 | — |
| San Jose City College San Jose, CA · Public | Associate degree | $25,157 | 1 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $70,790 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get industrial machinery mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Santa Cruz with another city →
Keep exploring
Could this trade pay more somewhere else?
ToolBest cities for industrial machinery mechanicsRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Santa CruzSee where it falls among local industrial machinery mechanics, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolSanta Cruz budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Santa Cruz metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Santa Cruz against every other metro for industrial machinery mechanics. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.