Report: Wages in Santa Clara County 60 percent higher than national average

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A new study is pointing out the upside of living in a part of the country that's so expensive. It also means many of us here in the Bay Area earn higher salaries.

More than 11% of workers in Santa Clara County work in the tech industry and if you have one of those jobs -- chances are you're making a pretty big salary.

According to the just released report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from May of last year, workers in Santa Clara County earn on average $36.43 an hour. That's 60% above the U.S. average. Workers in computer and mathematical occupations earn even more -- making an average of $59.57 an hour -- that's an annual salary just under $124,000.

Of course while the tech industry is soaring, it helps boost the salaries of other occupations in the area. All but one major occupational group sees salaries well above the national average. But living in Silicon Valley is not cheap. Real estate website Zillow says the average home price in Santa Clara County is at $900,000. The average rent is about $2,900 a month.

People working in food service, personal care and service and transportation, who make well below $20 dollars an hour, they're having a difficult time paying their rent or mortgage.

You might be curious about which job pays the most here in Santa Clara County -- it's a job in management. Workers in that field make more than $160,000 on average.