Labor Force
Highly Productive Young Professionals
Lower housing costs and Solano’s urban-country-waterfront mix attract a diverse, growing population of young professionals who call Solano County home. Many of these residents currently commute to Bay Area jobs, making them an ideal match for businesses seeking to scale outside the more expensive economic centers around San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Laborshed
2.8 million workers in a 50-mile radius. As the Bay Area’s northeast county, Solano has the potential to draw from a huge labor pool. Inbound commuters can take Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor train which makes multiple runs from the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Within the county, there are 107,000 outbound commuters who could work closer to home.
- Out-commuters work in construction, manufacturing, healthcare and government.
- 16.2% of out-commuters have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
| Labor Force and Unemployment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | Employment | Unemployment | Unemployment Rate | |
| May 2022 | 199,200 | 192,200 | 7,000 | 3.50% |
| Annual Avg. 2021 | 199,400 | 184,500 | 14,900 | 7.50% |
| Annual Avg. 2020 | 201,500 | 181,700 | 19,800 | 9.80% |
| Annual Avg. 2015 | 204,900 | 192,200 | 12,600 | 6.20% |
| Annual Avg. 2010 | 202,500 | 176,500 | 26,000 | 12.80% |
Employment Rate
Source: California Employment Development Department (EDD)
Unemployment Rates and Labor Force: Vallejo-Fairfield MSA Labor Force Data
Commute Patterns
| Commute Patterns | Inflow | Outflow |
| 2019 | 70,946 | 133,904 |
| 2018 | 83,994 | 131,746 |
| 2017 | 80,674 | 129,522 |
| 2016 | 79,308 | 125,231 |
| 2015 | 77,574 | 119,852 |
Inflow refers to the number of employees who lives outside the county but works within the county.
Outflow refers to the number of employees who lives within the county but works outside the county.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
OnTheMap: Inflow/Outflow Analysis, 2015-2019
| Counties | Inflow | Outflow |
| Alameda County | 5,388 | 17,854 |
| Contra Costa County | 11,823 | 26,003 |
| Napa County | 5,445 | 13,522 |
| Sacramento County | 10,111 | 13,068 |
| San Francisco County | 1,792 | 12,788 |
| San Joaquin County | 3,694 | 3,915 |
| Sonoma County | 3,515 | 5,755 |
| Yolo County | 5,360 | 5,032 |
| All Other Counties | 23,818 | 35,967 |
Inflow and Outflow (per Counties) – 2019
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
OnTheMap: Destination Analysis, 2019
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| Total County Population | 194,057 | |||
| Total State Population | 16,710,195 | |||
| Total Country Population | 142,512,559 | |||
| % Distribution of Population | ||||
| Duration of Commute | Solano County | Solano County | California | United States |
| Less than 5 minutes | 4,182 | 2.16% | 1.81% | 2.82% |
| 5 to 9 miuntes | 17,119 | 8.82% | 7.36% | 9.48% |
| 10 to 14 minutes | 26,558 | 13.69% | 12.12% | 13.22% |
| 15 to 19 minutes | 26,692 | 13.75% | 14.65% | 15.17% |
| 20 to 29 minutes | 28,163 | 14.51% | 20.15% | 20.87% |
| 30 to 44 minutes | 35,494 | 18.29% | 21.87% | 20.86% |
| 45 to 59 minutes | 19,310 | 9.95% | 9.03% | 8.33% |
| 60 minutes and above | 36,539 | 18.83% | 12.67% | 9.25% |
Travel Time
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020: ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles
B08303: Travel Time to Work
Population of 16 years old and above who did not work at home
Labor Costs
Lower average wages. Housing costs in Solano County are half that of the metro region, and the lower cost of living is reflected in lower average wage rates for many occupations. Your business may be able to reduce hiring or training costs through programs described in the Business & Industry Groups.
| Occupation | SOC Code | Mean Hourly Wage | Median Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Wage |
| Management Occupations | ||||
| General and Operations Managers | 11-1021 | $59.12 | $50.76 | $122,968 |
| Marketing Managers | 11-2021 | $72.49 | $66.26 | $150,763 |
| Sales Managers | 11-2022 | $58.20 | $51.01 | $121,063 |
| Administrative Services Managers | 11-3012 | $61.37 | $51.05 | $127,654 |
| Computer and Information System Managers | 11-3021 | $76.70 | $74.98 | $159,526 |
| Industrial Production Managers | 11-3051 | $60.47 | $60.33 | $125,780 |
| All Other Manager Occupations | 11-9199 | $65.09 | $62.27 | $135,398 |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | ||||
| Accountants and Auditors | 13-2011 | $44.22 | $39.82 | $91,971 |
| Purchasing Agents, Buyers | 13-1020 | $35.72 | $32.15 | $74,310 |
| Human Resources Specialists | 13-1071 | $38.58 | $37.93 | $80,242 |
| Management Analysts | 13-1111 | $47.72 | $42.94 | $99,262 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 13-1161 | $36.31 | $34.30 | $75,525 |
| All Other Business and Financial Operation | 13-2099 | $38.92 | $37.66 | $80,952 |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | ||||
| Computer Systems Analysts | 15-1211 | $50.69 | $49.33 | $105,443 |
| Software Developers, Applications | 15-1252 | $56.64 | $57.50 | $117,803 |
| Computer Programmers | 15-1251 | $43.69 | $44.71 | $90,867 |
| Database Administrators | 15-1242 | $52.93 | $52.68 | $110,084 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 15-1244 | $49.41 | $50.62 | $102,770 |
| All Other Computer and Mathematical Occupation | 15-1299 | $45.59 | $40.58 | $94,835 |
| Engineering Occupations | ||||
| Industrial Engineers | 17-2112 | $52.89 | $47.47 | $110,002 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 17-2141 | $47.88 | $46.44 | $99,600 |
| Mechanical Drafters | 17-3013 | $33.77 | $29.99 | $70,240 |
| Civil Engineering Technicians | 17-3022 | $41.46 | $40.54 | $86,246 |
| All Other Engineering (except Drafters) Occupations | 17-3029 | $39.03 | $41.22 | $81,180 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | ||||
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 19-1012 | $48.95 | $48.83 | $101,807 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 19-1013 | $54.34 | $52.72 | $113,016 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, including Health | 19-2041 | $38.82 | $33.67 | $80,735 |
| Agricultural and Food Science Technicians | 19-4013 | $27.51 | $25.51 | $57,207 |
| Biological Scientists | 19-1029 | $50.71 | $48.64 | $105,474 |
| All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 19-4099 | $26.51 | $23.24 | $55,135 |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | ||||
| First-Line Supervisors | 43-1011 | $33.66 | $31.36 | $70,020 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 43-3031 | $25.52 | $24.41 | $53,096 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 43-4051 | $21.16 | $19.23 | $44,019 |
| Production, Planning, and Expiditing Clerks | 43-5061 | $28.58 | $25.79 | $59,455 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks | 43-5071 | $21.45 | $19.67 | $44,623 |
| All Other Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 43-9199 | $24.23 | $22.66 | $50,410 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | ||||
| Agricultural Inspectors | 45-2011 | $29.00 | $30.41 | $60,331 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 45-2091 | $18.84 | $18.61 | $39,189 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 45-2092 | $16.39 | $15.57 | $34,081 |
| Production Occupations | ||||
| First-Line Supervisors of Production of Operating Workers | 51-1011 | $41.14 | $38.27 | $85,548 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 51-2041 | $24.69 | $23.53 | $51,352 |
| Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal, and Plastic | 51-9161 | $27.53 | $24.85 | $57,251 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 51-4031 | $21.64 | $19.19 | $44,995 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 51-4033 | $23.48 | $19.60 | $48,845 |
| Machinists | 51-4041 | $25.15 | $22.07 | $52,299 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 51-4121 | $29.91 | $25.82 | $62,203 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 51-9124 | $25.34 | $24.01 | $52,704 |
| All Other Production Operations Occupations | 51-9199 | $20.43 | $19.19 | $42,509 |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | ||||
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machinery | 53-1047 | $30.85 | $27.89 | $64,162 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 53-7062 | $19.35 | $18.36 | $40,247 |
| All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 53-7199 | $20.01 | $16.90 | $41,613 |
Wages by Selected Occupations
Source: Employment Development Department, State of California
OEWS Employment and Wage Statistics, Solano County, 1st Quarter 2022
Wage Comparison by Occupation
| Solano County | Alameda County | Napa County | Sacramento County | San Francisco County | ||||||
| Wage Percentiles | 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% | 25% | 75% |
| Management Occupations | ||||||||||
| General and Operations Managers | $35.59 | $74.91 | $39.84 | $94.33 | $38.33 | $74.78 | $37.59 | $77.08 | $47.75 | $100.00 |
| Marketing Managers | $48.94 | $86.79 | $65.92 | – | $49.45 | $94.99 | A | $88.40 | $76.40 | – |
| Sales Managers | $34.25 | $70.47 | $47.30 | $100.00 | $41.90 | $94.21 | $38.41 | $80.88 | $61.07 | – |
| Administrative Services Managers | $36.95 | $74.48 | $44.28 | $82.91 | $36.06 | $63.21 | $31.91 | $63.21 | $44.14 | $83.16 |
| Computer and Information System Managers | $59.42 | $87.18 | $75.76 | – | $63.49 | $96.79 | $65.17 | $88.96 | $80.83 | – |
| Industrial Production Managers | $40.76 | $74.46 | $49.57 | $83.82 | $53.95 | $86.00 | $39.94 | $71.77 | $59.64 | $100.00 |
| All Other Manager Occupations | $39.96 | $83.42 | $59.56 | – | $49.63 | $94.21 | $49.06 | $83.71 | $63.87 | – |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | ||||||||||
| Accountants and Auditors | $32.04 | $50.80 | $38.01 | $61.35 | $36.81 | $50.75 | $31.68 | $50.91 | $38.36 | $62.58 |
| Purchasing Agents, Buyers | $27.03 | $41.16 | $30.65 | $48.76 | $25.64 | $41.24 | $25.50 | $41.81 | $31.06 | $50.59 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $29.76 | $46.79 | $31.06 | $50.59 | $29.81 | $50.19 | $26.36 | $44.11 | $36.08 | $62.24 |
| Management Analysts | $35.41 | $53.03 | $40.13 | $72.04 | $36.32 | $50.86 | $31.68 | $40.15 | $45.47 | $79.63 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $25.25 | $41.45 | $34.44 | $62.29 | $30.18 | $47.64 | $23.47 | $44.10 | $36.73 | $69.53 |
| All Other Business and Financial Operation | $25.65 | $46.85 | $31.74 | $51.50 | $20.66 | $48.15 | $25.63 | $42.85 | $31.25 | $72.09 |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | ||||||||||
| Computer Systems Analysts | $38.60 | $62.38 | $48.84 | $78.42 | $47.44 | $68.62 | $39.99 | $63.59 | $49.28 | $81.65 |
| Software Developers, Applications | $41.60 | $67.60 | $58.26 | $83.35 | $51.31 | $85.91 | $50.65 | $82.46 | $64.20 | $97.16 |
| Computer Programmers | $32.46 | $52.56 | $49.62 | $75.91 | $37.65 | $60.65 | $30.84 | $66.32 | $49.62 | $75.93 |
| Database Administrators | $40.06 | $63.14 | $40.09 | $67.40 | $30.33 | $58.88 | $31.72 | $64.41 | $44.97 | $75.68 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $39.36 | $54.40 | $46.62 | $65.38 | $39.12 | $59.92 | $37.60 | $59.17 | $46.07 | $65.38 |
| All Other Computer/Mathematical Occupation | $30.38 | $57.64 | $38.88 | $79.52 | $31.42 | $59.85 | $30.80 | $63.71 | $46.67 | $82.55 |
| Engineering Occupations | ||||||||||
| Industrial Engineers | $39.42 | $63.92 | $46.71 | $62.47 | $39.10 | $60.12 | $38.73 | $61.26 | $47.50 | $75.84 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $36.79 | $56.44 | $47.76 | $77.44 | $41.94 | $54.10 | $38.73 | $63.27 | $49.62 | $81.18 |
| Mechanical Drafters | $24.85 | $37.75 | $28.01 | $46.71 | $32.88 | $47.98 | $24.76 | $39.53 | $31.10 | $46.50 |
| Civil Engineering Technicians | $38.00 | $47.05 | $36.86 | $49.53 | $39.64 | $63.26 | $29.89 | $40.42 | $36.10 | $49.53 |
| All Other Engineering (except Drafters) Occupations | $29.17 | $50.39 | $24.31 | $36.77 | $38.73 | $49.92 | $21.17 | $40.01 | $24.31 | $34.92 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | ||||||||||
| Food Scientists and Technologists | $38.36 | $62.24 | $36.94 | $59.40 | $29.63 | $37.30 | $30.90 | $52.20 | $39.67 | $64.74 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | $31.99 | $57.26 | $35.89 | $64.49 | $32.64 | $50.14 | $30.93 | $55.34 | $35.89 | $47.04 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, including Health | $29.07 | $47.13 | $37.61 | $64.74 | $37.16 | $50.45 | $40.89 | $62.53 | $41.05 | $66.66 |
| Food Science Technicians | $20.20 | $36.45 | $22.39 | $30.39 | $22.35 | $24.45 | $19.34 | $29.32 | $24.09 | $36.57 |
| Biological Scientists/Technicians | $37.36 | $59.13 | $38.88 | $64.01 | $30.04 | $30.04 | $32.65 | $50.76 | $38.62 | $64.02 |
| All Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | $19.09 | $29.87 | $23.63 | $37.35 | – | – | $19.20 | $29.80 | $26.93 | $45.80 |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | ||||||||||
| First-Line Supervisors | $25.43 | $39.18 | $30.32 | $46.39 | $26.96 | $40.15 | $25.17 | $39.93 | $30.32 | $47.86 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $19.68 | $30.31 | $23.21 | $34.35 | $22.17 | $30.92 | $19.11 | $30.19 | $23.42 | $35.22 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $16.71 | $23.88 | $19.04 | $28.65 | $18.56 | $24.05 | $15.34 | $23.90 | $21.15 | $29.58 |
| Production, Planning, and Expiditing Clerks | $21.27 | $32.54 | $23.91 | $37.84 | $23.78 | $34.06 | $19.77 | $31.34 | $26.96 | $37.12 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks | $18.19 | $24.13 | $18.40 | $24.44 | $19.15 | $24.30 | $16.03 | $23.37 | $18.40 | $27.46 |
| All Other Office and Administrative Support Occupations | $16.71 | $29.95 | $20.58 | $37.48 | $15.00 | $26.01 | $15.17 | $29.34 | $18.69 | $36.27 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | ||||||||||
| Agricultural Inspectors | $23.96 | $30.83 | $28.52 | $40.84 | $23.68 | $31.76 | $15.20 | $24.37 | $29.46 | $35.44 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | $16.27 | $19.16 | $27.59 | $39.87 | $19.12 | $23.22 | $16.03 | $18.97 | – | – |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $15.26 | $18.59 | $17.77 | $22.61 | $17.57 | $19.49 | $15.29 | $15.50 | $17.80 | $23.45 |
| Production Occupations | ||||||||||
| First-Line Supervisors of Production of Operating Workers | $29.32 | $52.27 | $30.22 | $49.26 | $30.59 | $41.98 | $24.89 | $41.00 | $29.56 | $51.07 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $15.57 | $32.02 | $19.20 | $29.55 | $18.46 | $25.41 | – | – | ||
| Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal, and Plastic | $19.62 | $31.72 | $22.39 | $30.63 | $19.56 | $30.61 | $18.97 | $25.81 | $21.83 | $29.62 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $17.65 | $24.47 | $18.76 | $27.56 | – | – | $18.55 | $23.99 | $18.39 | $27.83 |
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $17.44 | $24.85 | $18.39 | $23.67 | $16.96 | $23.73 | $15.40 | $19.52 | $18.98 | $25.73 |
| Machinists | $15.25 | $31.05 | $23.63 | $35.71 | $18.83 | $29.90 | $22.13 | $45.44 | ||
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $23.81 | $33.27 | $23.58 | $35.82 | $21.36 | $30.57 | $20.61 | $29.03 | $23.09 | $35.32 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $19.69 | $28.77 | $18.83 | $34.03 | $22.77 | $30.07 | $18.80 | $27.86 | $18.83 | $30.18 |
| All Other Production Operations Occupations | $16.99 | $20.98 | $18.39 | $24.17 | $17.48 | $23.12 | $15.06 | $19.42 | $18.07 | $27.08 |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | ||||||||||
| First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machinery | $23.95 | $37.76 | $25.32 | $40.12 | $24.99 | $38.82 | $24.10 | $38.87 | $25.19 | $39.66 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $15.93 | $20.11 | $18.71 | $24.08 | $17.63 | $22.80 | $15.41 | $20.02 | $18.31 | $24.09 |
| All Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | $15.64 | $19.97 | $17.41 | $19.61 | $15.95 | $18.47 | $15.19 | $16.97 | $17.55 | $22.85 |
Wage Comparison
Source: Employment Development Department, State of California
OEWS Employment and Wage Statistics, 1st Quarter 2022
State Labor Laws
Here is a brief summary of state employment requirements that may affect your payroll costs. Please consult with the agencies listed for the most up-to-date details. Additional information about personal taxes, business taxes and licensing can be found under Government.
| Employment Taxes & Mandated Benefits | ||
|---|---|---|
| Disability Insurance | 1.1% (employee wage deduction) Based on $145,600 taxable wages, limit is $1,601.60/employee per calendar year |
California Employment Development Department |
| Employment Training Tax | 0.1% (employee wage deduction) The taxable wage limit us $7,000/ employee per calendar year |
California Employment Development Department |
| Unemployment Insurance |
1.5%-6.2% on 1st $7,000/ employee per
|
California Employment Development Department |
| Workers' Compensation | Based on payroll and occupations | California Department of Industrial Relations |
| Family Leave | Employees covered by Disability Insurance (see above) are eligible for up to eight (8) weeks of paid family leave to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, parent or domestic partner, or to bond with a new minor child. Disability Insurance is paid by employee. |
California Employment Development Department |
| Source: California Employment Development Department (www.edd.ca.gov/), California Department of Industrial Relations (www.dir.ca.gov/default.html), July 2022 | ||