NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Salinas, CA

Metro Market Score 75.7 (Difficult), ranked #280 of 298 metros. 1,110 establishments, 22,555 jobs.

Metro Market Assessment

Metro Market Score 75.7
Favorable 0-35
Moderate 35-48
Challenging 48-60
Difficult 60+
Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national accommodation and food services average.

💰High-Cost Market⚡Rising Wages

Salinas stands out for high accommodation and food services labor costs. Wage competitiveness hits 97.7 (above the 70th percentile of metros), and year-over-year wage pressure at 79.5 signals continued increases. Plan for higher payroll if entering this market.

Industry Concentration
81.2
LQ: 1.24
Rank #242 of 298 metros
Wage Competitiveness
97.7
$39,926 avg wage
Growth Trend
49.7
Employment growth index
Rank #151 of 298 metros
Wage Pressure
79.5
YoY wage change index

1,110 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Salinas

1,110
Establishments
+2.3% YoY
22,555
Total Employment
+0.1% YoY
$39,926
Average Annual Wage
+5.9% YoY
1.24
Location Quotient
Above national avg

Salinas vs California Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to California overall. The state ranks #47/51 for entry risk.

Measure Salinas CA Statewide
Overall Score 75.7 Difficult 57.2 High
Score Type Metro Market Score Entry Risk Score
Rank #280 of 298 metros #47 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Salinas

Construction 31.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 32.3 Information 32.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 37.9 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 39.8 Other Services 50.2 Administrative and Support Services 51.2 Finance and Insurance 52.3 Retail Trade 53.7

Accommodation and Food Services in Other California Metros

Fresno 39.2 #46/298 Hanford-Corcoran 50.6 #120/298 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 53.3 #140/298 Chico 53.8 #147/298 El Centro 54.7 #155/298 Visalia 56.9 #163/298 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 60.6 #197/298 Redding 62.2 #208/298 Bakersfield-Delano 64.2 #220/298 Stockton-Lodi 64.5 #221/298

+ 14 more metros. View all in California →

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Salinas's accommodation and food services sector, the wage competitiveness component (97.7) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.