Santa Clara County Residents Among Highest Wage Earners in Country

Do you feel rich?

According to a recent article in the Contra Costa Times, you should—Santa Clara County residents rank among the highest wage earners in the nation.

In fact, most of the Bay Area made the list. 

The article quotes figures recently released by federal officials from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The top wage-earning area of the nation is, unsurprisingly, New York City, where the average worker brings in $2,464 per week.

Just below New York City, though, Santa Clara County ranks as the second-highest wage-earning county in the nation. The average south bay worker brings in a weekly wage of $1,957.

Not far below is San Francisco, ranked at number five, where the average worker brings in $1,791 per week.

Just below that, San Mateo County came in at number seven on this list. Figures show workers bring in, on average, $1,622 per week in wages.

Also showing up on the list was Alameda County, with an average weekly wage of $1,276; Contra Costa County with an average weekly wage of $1,256; and Santa Cruz County with an average weekly wage of $902.

According to the California Economic Development Department, the average annual wage in Santa Clara County—calculated in the first quarter of 2012—is $70,820, or $34.05 an hour.

The average engineer, across various fields, brought home $104,280 annually, or $50.13 an hour. Someone in the social services field makes an average of $48,660, or $23.39. Bartenders bring in $19,207, $9.24. The highest salaries go to surgeons who average $246,023, or $118.28 per hour.

PATCH WANTS TO KNOW - What do you think of these figures? Do you feel like one of the richest counties in the country? Tell us in the comments below.