Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists Salary — Santa Cruz, California

The average Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in Santa Cruz, California earns $45,400 a year.

$45,400 / year, mean
↑ 2.4% above national average 74th percentile in California

Santa Cruz pays well above most of California for this role, landing in the top third statewide. That's close to the national average for hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists — a fairly typical rate for this role. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
180
Estimate confidence
RSE 4.4%
Cost of living 110 #10 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $1,157,157 #2 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $109,266 #6 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Santa Cruz ranks #10 for cost of living and #2 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Seattle $65,920 Spokane $65,150 Bellingham $64,360 Corvallis $62,120 Portland $60,670 Bremerton $60,560 Olympia $58,660 Syracuse $57,880 Trenton $57,850 Yakima $54,800 Los Angeles $54,290 Kennewick $53,290 Bend $52,470 Longview $52,120 New York $51,650 Eugene $50,990 Lansing $50,580 Salem $50,560 Wenatchee $49,860 Blacksburg $49,720 Buffalo $49,700 Medford $49,620 Grand Rapids $49,570 Atlantic City $49,120 Vineland $48,930 Rochester $48,740 Champaign $48,710 Ann Arbor $48,640 Allentown $48,540 Kalamazoo $48,190 Traverse City $48,110 Detroit $47,670 Niles $47,460 San Jose $47,010 Saginaw $46,960 Napa $46,900 Louisville $46,780 Albany $46,750 Salisbury $46,750 Salinas $46,560 Battle Creek $46,440 Kingston $46,310 San Francisco $45,950 Lebanon $45,880 Midland $45,800 Binghamton $45,560 Flint $45,550 Santa Rosa $45,490 Santa Cruz $45,400 Monroe $45,290 Lexington Park $45,130 Stockton $45,000 Yuba City $44,930 San Diego $44,890 Bay City $44,770 Vallejo $44,750 Muskegon $44,410 Baltimore $44,280 Philadelphia $43,990 Reading $43,980 Pittsburgh $43,800 Austin $43,780 Modesto $43,470 Jackson $43,030 Santa Maria $43,020 State College $42,830 Kiryas Joel $42,610 Oxnard $42,580 York $42,530 San Luis Obispo $42,520 Chico $42,320 Utica $42,270 Lancaster $42,250 Scranton $41,990 Sacramento $41,870 Erie $41,720 Redding $41,650 Gettysburg $41,550 Houston $41,310 Hanford $41,110 Fresno $41,080 Riverside $41,030 Visalia $40,930 Johnstown $40,770 Weirton $40,690 Harrisburg $40,640 Dallas $40,050 Bakersfield $39,910 Dover $39,840 Chicago $39,760 Tampa $39,520 Morgantown $39,480 Elizabethtown $39,380 Williamsport $39,280 Kokomo $38,930 Charlottesville $38,880 Wheeling $38,880 Parkersburg $38,840 Kankakee $38,700 Naples $38,660 Bowling Green $38,580 Decatur $38,290 Indianapolis $38,160 Lexington $37,880 Altoona $37,800 Huntington $37,560 Sarasota $37,470 Springfield $37,390 Waco $37,240 San Antonio $37,180 Midland $37,100 Owensboro $36,960 Hagerstown $36,350 Sebring $36,310 Beaumont $36,270 Port St. Lucie $36,230 Lafayette $36,110 Pensacola $35,810 Miami $35,780 Lubbock $35,730 Peoria $35,660 Paducah $35,550 Beckley $35,390 Fort Myers $35,330 Orlando $35,230 Jacksonville $35,210 Fort Wayne $35,200 Michigan City $35,190 South Bend $35,100 Abilene $34,880 Elkhart $34,810 Crestview $34,760 Muncie $34,640 Roanoke $34,610 Wichita Falls $34,520 Corpus Christi $34,450 Evansville $34,390 McAllen $34,290 Palm Bay $34,200 Punta Gorda $34,190 Wildwood $34,170 College Station $34,130 Tallahassee $34,120 Killeen $34,070 Homosassa Springs $34,000 Lakeland $33,990 Harrisonburg $33,800 El Paso $33,600 Amarillo $33,490 Sebastian $33,200 Deltona $33,080 Texarkana $33,030 Columbus $32,950 Bloomington $32,920 Gainesville $32,820 San Angelo $32,280 Terre Haute $32,160 Panama City $31,630 Ocala $31,490 Tyler $30,830 Longview $28,980 Laredo $28,690
CityMean salaryvs. Santa Cruz
Abilene, Texas$34,880-23.2%
Albany, New York$46,750+3.0%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$48,540+6.9%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$37,800-16.7%
Amarillo, Texas$33,490-26.2%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$48,640+7.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$49,120+8.2%
Austin, Texas$43,780-3.6%
Bakersfield, California$39,910-12.1%
Baltimore, Maryland$44,280-2.5%
Battle Creek, Michigan$46,440+2.3%
Bay City, Michigan$44,770-1.4%
Beaumont, Texas$36,270-20.1%
Beckley, West Virginia$35,390-22.0%
Bellingham, Washington$64,360+41.8%
Bend, Oregon$52,470+15.6%
Binghamton, New York$45,560+0.4%
Blacksburg, Virginia$49,720+9.5%
Bloomington, Indiana$32,920-27.5%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$38,580-15.0%
Bremerton, Washington$60,560+33.4%
Buffalo, New York$49,700+9.5%
Fort Myers, Florida$35,330-22.2%
Champaign, Illinois$48,710+7.3%
Charlottesville, Virginia$38,880-14.4%
Chicago, Illinois$39,760-12.4%
Chico, California$42,320-6.8%
College Station, Texas$34,130-24.8%
Columbus, Indiana$32,950-27.4%
Corpus Christi, Texas$34,450-24.1%
Corvallis, Oregon$62,120+36.8%
Crestview, Florida$34,760-23.4%
Dallas, Texas$40,050-11.8%
Decatur, Illinois$38,290-15.7%
Deltona, Florida$33,080-27.1%
Detroit, Michigan$47,670+5.0%
Dover, Delaware$39,840-12.2%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$39,380-13.3%
Elkhart, Indiana$34,810-23.3%
El Paso, Texas$33,600-26.0%
Erie, Pennsylvania$41,720-8.1%
Eugene, Oregon$50,990+12.3%
Evansville, Indiana$34,390-24.3%
Flint, Michigan$45,550+0.3%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$35,200-22.5%
Fresno, California$41,080-9.5%
Gainesville, Florida$32,820-27.7%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$41,550-8.5%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$49,570+9.2%
Hagerstown, Maryland$36,350-19.9%
Hanford, California$41,110-9.4%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$40,640-10.5%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$33,800-25.6%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$34,000-25.1%
Houston, Texas$41,310-9.0%
Huntington, West Virginia$37,560-17.3%
Indianapolis, Indiana$38,160-15.9%
Jackson, Michigan$43,030-5.2%
Jacksonville, Florida$35,210-22.4%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$40,770-10.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$48,190+6.1%
Kankakee, Illinois$38,700-14.8%
Kennewick, Washington$53,290+17.4%
Killeen, Texas$34,070-25.0%
Kingston, New York$46,310+2.0%
Kiryas Joel, New York$42,610-6.1%
Kokomo, Indiana$38,930-14.3%
Lafayette, Indiana$36,110-20.5%
Lakeland, Florida$33,990-25.1%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$42,250-6.9%
Lansing, Michigan$50,580+11.4%
Laredo, Texas$28,690-36.8%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$45,880+1.1%
Lexington, Kentucky$37,880-16.6%
Lexington Park, Maryland$45,130-0.6%
Longview, Texas$28,980-36.2%
Longview, Washington$52,120+14.8%
Los Angeles, California$54,290+19.6%
Louisville, Kentucky$46,780+3.0%
Lubbock, Texas$35,730-21.3%
McAllen, Texas$34,290-24.5%
Medford, Oregon$49,620+9.3%
Miami, Florida$35,780-21.2%
Michigan City, Indiana$35,190-22.5%
Midland, Michigan$45,800+0.9%
Midland, Texas$37,100-18.3%
Modesto, California$43,470-4.3%
Monroe, Michigan$45,290-0.2%
Morgantown, West Virginia$39,480-13.0%
Muncie, Indiana$34,640-23.7%
Muskegon, Michigan$44,410-2.2%
Napa, California$46,900+3.3%
Naples, Florida$38,660-14.8%
New York, New York$51,650+13.8%
Niles, Michigan$47,460+4.5%
Sarasota, Florida$37,470-17.5%
Ocala, Florida$31,490-30.6%
Olympia, Washington$58,660+29.2%
Orlando, Florida$35,230-22.4%
Owensboro, Kentucky$36,960-18.6%
Oxnard, California$42,580-6.2%
Paducah, Kentucky$35,550-21.7%
Palm Bay, Florida$34,200-24.7%
Panama City, Florida$31,630-30.3%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$38,840-14.4%
Pensacola, Florida$35,810-21.1%
Peoria, Illinois$35,660-21.5%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$43,990-3.1%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$43,800-3.5%
Portland, Oregon$60,670+33.6%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$36,230-20.2%
Punta Gorda, Florida$34,190-24.7%
Reading, Pennsylvania$43,980-3.1%
Redding, California$41,650-8.3%
Riverside, California$41,030-9.6%
Roanoke, Virginia$34,610-23.8%
Rochester, New York$48,740+7.4%
Sacramento, California$41,870-7.8%
Saginaw, Michigan$46,960+3.4%
Salem, Oregon$50,560+11.4%
Salinas, California$46,560+2.6%
Salisbury, Maryland$46,750+3.0%
San Angelo, Texas$32,280-28.9%
San Antonio, Texas$37,180-18.1%
San Diego, California$44,890-1.1%
San Francisco, California$45,950+1.2%
San Jose, California$47,010+3.5%
San Luis Obispo, California$42,520-6.3%
Santa Maria, California$43,020-5.2%
Santa Rosa, California$45,490+0.2%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$41,990-7.5%
Seattle, Washington$65,920+45.2%
Sebastian, Florida$33,200-26.9%
Sebring, Florida$36,310-20.0%
South Bend, Indiana$35,100-22.7%
Spokane, Washington$65,150+43.5%
Springfield, Illinois$37,390-17.6%
State College, Pennsylvania$42,830-5.7%
Stockton, California$45,000-0.9%
Syracuse, New York$57,880+27.5%
Tallahassee, Florida$34,120-24.8%
Tampa, Florida$39,520-13.0%
Terre Haute, Indiana$32,160-29.2%
Texarkana, Texas$33,030-27.2%
Traverse City, Michigan$48,110+6.0%
Trenton, New Jersey$57,850+27.4%
Tyler, Texas$30,830-32.1%
Utica, New York$42,270-6.9%
Vallejo, California$44,750-1.4%
Vineland, New Jersey$48,930+7.8%
Visalia, California$40,930-9.8%
Waco, Texas$37,240-18.0%
Weirton, West Virginia$40,690-10.4%
Wenatchee, Washington$49,860+9.8%
Wheeling, West Virginia$38,880-14.4%
Wichita Falls, Texas$34,520-24.0%
Wildwood, Florida$34,170-24.7%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$39,280-13.5%
Yakima, Washington$54,800+20.7%
York, Pennsylvania$42,530-6.3%
Yuba City, California$44,930-1.0%
Gross salary
45,400/yr
Estimated take-home
37,707/yr
Est. total withheld
16.9%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists salaries in California → All Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Santa Cruz

These notes add local color around Santa Cruz, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 39-5012 SOC code
Official area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 42100 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
Watsonville
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
266,021