North Central Coast Region

Español

The North Central Coast region is comprised of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties.

Top Job Openings 2020-2030

High-Skill Occupations

  • Teachers and Instructors, All Other, Except Substitute Teachers:
    • 4,790 projected job openings, $107,098 median annual wage, 0 job ads.
  • General and Operations Managers:
    • 4,590 projected job openings, $111,671 median annual wage, 103 job ads.
  • Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists, All Other:
    • 3,240 projected job openings, $99,434 median annual wage, 44 job ads.
  • Registered Nurses:
    • 3,170 projected job openings, $139,215 median annual wage, 371 job ads.
  • Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education:
    • 2,810 projected job openings, $93,869 median annual wage, 51 job ads.
 

Middle-Skill Occupations

  • Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:
    • 4,520 projected job openings, $58,174 median annual wage, 165 job ads.
  • Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:
    • 4,140 projected job openings, $57,078 median annual wage, 39 job ads.
  • Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary:
    • 2,930 projected job openings, $46,841 median annual wage, 108 job ads.
  • Medical Assistants:
    • 2,820 projected job openings, $46,782 median annual wage, 77 job ads.
  • Nursing Assistants:
    • 1,600 projected job openings, $47,109 median annual wage, 25 job ads.
 

Entry-Level Occupations

  • Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse:
    • 75,580 projected job openings, $37,344 median annual wage, 5 job ads.
  • Home Health and Personal Care Aides:
    • 17,740 projected job openings, $33,433 median annual wage, 220 job ads.
  • Fast Food and Counter Workers:
    • 16,050 projected job openings, $36,523 median annual wage, 119 job ads.
  • Cashiers:
    • 14,310 projected job openings, $36,888, median annual wage, 58 job ads.
  • Waiters and Waitresses:
    • 9,590 projected job openings, $36,122 median annual wage, 113 job ads.

An image of the California North Central Coast region on a map of California

 

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program has combined some detailed job categories from 2018 into broader categories or special groupings to improve data quality.

The total number of expected job openings from 2020 to 2030 includes workers leaving their jobs, people changing jobs, and new jobs being created. The top 10 jobs were chosen based on these total job openings.

Median wages are the middle point of what workers earn in the first quarter of 2024. Half of the workers earn less than the median wage, and half earn more. These wages do not include self-employed people or unpaid family workers. The median yearly wage has been rounded up to $33,280 to match state minimum wage laws as of January 1, 2024.

Information about online job ads comes from the Lightcast data series, which collects, studies, and organizes ads from many online job boards.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has split some job categories into separate groups. Here are a few examples:

  • The median wage for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1256) is based only on Software Developers (15-1252). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) include ads for both Software Developers (15-1252) and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1253).
  • The median wage for Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1198) is based only on Project Management Specialists (13-1082). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) are for Project Management Specialists (13-1082).
  • The median wage for Teachers and Instructors, All Other, Except Substitute Teachers (25-3097) is based on Teaching and Instructors, All Other (25-3099). Job ad numbers (from June 5 to August 3, 2024) include ads for Tutors (25-3041) and Teaching and Instructors, All Other (25-3099).

For Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (25-2021), the median wage in the North Coast Regional Planning Unit reflects wages in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties.

The job ad numbers for Home Health and Personal Care Aides (31-1120) include ads for both Home Health Aides (31-1121) and Personal Care Aides (31-1122).

The job ad numbers for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary (25-9045) include ads for Teaching Assistants in Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools (25-9042), Special Education Teaching Assistants (25-9043), and Teaching Assistants, All Other (25-9049).