NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Salinas, CA

Metro Market Score 52.3 (Challenging), ranked #189 of 331 metros. 312 establishments, 2,044 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

💰High-Cost Market

Finance and Insurance conditions in Salinas are mixed. The 52.3 market score puts it at #189 of 331, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

0.9

LQ: 0.25

Rank #3 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

87.3

$119,749 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 33.8

Employment growth index

Rank #220 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

52.2

YoY wage change index

312 Finance and Insurance Firms in Salinas

312

Establishments

-4.9% YoY

2,044

Total Employment

-2.6% YoY

$119,749

Average Annual Wage

+8.6% YoY

0.25

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#16 of 24

finance and insurance metros in state

California state rank

#12 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

+2.9

worse than median (49.4)

Salinas vs California Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to California overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Salinas	CA Statewide
Overall Score	52.3 Challenging	46.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#189 of 331 metros	#12 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 Retail Trade 53.7 Accommodation and Food Services 75.7

Finance and Insurance in Other California Metros

Bakersfield-Delano 19.0 #5/331 El Centro 28.6 #36/331 Redding 32.8 #63/331 Merced 34.4 #73/331 Visalia 39.7 #101/331 Fresno 42.2 #121/331 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 42.6 #124/331 Vallejo 43.3 #130/331 Napa 43.5 #131/331 Modesto 43.8 #135/331

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Salinas's 52.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lawton, OK 52.4 #190/331 Jackson, MS 52.4 #191/331 Oklahoma City, OK 52.5 #192/331 Greeley, CO 52.5 #193/331 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 52.6 #194/331 Ann Arbor, MI 52.0 #188/331 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 52.8 #195/331 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 53.0 #196/331 Hot Springs, AR 53.0 #197/331 Rockford, IL 53.0 #198/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for finance and insurance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Arizona 52.6 #29/51 Nevada 55.6 #38/51 Oregon 56.7 #41/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

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 finance and insurance sector, the wage competitiveness component (87.3) 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

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Salinas, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment