Physicians, All Other Salary — Santa Cruz, California

The average Physicians, All Other in Santa Cruz, California earns $312,910 a year.

$312,910 / year, mean
↑ 20.2% above national average 81th percentile in California

Santa Cruz pays well above most of California for this role, landing in the top third statewide. That's a solid premium over the national average for physicians, all other. 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)
190
Estimate confidence
RSE 4.6%
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.

Texarkana $392,990 Grants Pass $385,830 Elkhart $369,970 Champaign $369,270 Midland $369,260 Ann Arbor $365,500 Owensboro $360,910 Michigan City $359,220 Elizabethtown $358,950 Lafayette $353,520 Paducah $349,330 Decatur $349,190 Chico $348,950 Eugene $348,630 Amarillo $346,050 Bowling Green $345,110 Salem $343,300 Santa Rosa $342,000 El Centro $336,520 Louisville $336,370 Wheeling $331,690 Columbus $329,280 Palm Bay $327,210 Fort Wayne $325,560 Muncie $323,690 Indianapolis $322,730 Yakima $319,990 Sacramento $316,740 Evansville $316,650 Seattle $315,020 Santa Cruz $312,910 Williamsport $312,800 Brownsville $311,930 Wildwood $311,210 Crestview $310,860 Kalamazoo $310,610 Salisbury $310,200 Jacksonville $309,630 Merced $309,600 Albany $308,970 Kankakee $307,680 San Antonio $304,470 Portland $304,450 Wichita Falls $303,070 Bloomington $302,750 Bloomington $302,230 Fresno $301,890 Beckley $300,990 Salinas $298,990 Lubbock $298,220 Beaumont $295,290 Rockford $295,030 San Diego $291,840 Pensacola $290,070 Tampa $288,210 San Luis Obispo $288,040 Lansing $287,670 Waco $286,260 Albany $286,140 Lakeland $285,480 Modesto $283,800 Atlantic City $281,830 Altoona $280,990 Sarasota $280,320 Lebanon $279,940 Hagerstown $279,860 Orlando $279,750 College Station $279,520 Odessa $279,280 Santa Maria $277,960 Kennewick $277,050 Deltona $276,270 Spokane $276,150 Syracuse $275,040 Houston $274,630 Austin $273,850 South Bend $273,370 Mount Vernon $272,850 Gainesville $272,280 New York $270,690 Lexington $270,250 Laredo $269,560 Binghamton $268,690 Huntington $268,610 Utica $267,580 Lynchburg $267,300 Charlottesville $267,120 San Angelo $264,830 Redding $264,730 Longview $264,690 Fort Myers $263,990 Scranton $263,700 El Paso $263,410 Corpus Christi $262,960 Richmond $262,540 Charleston $261,180 Parkersburg $260,560 Rochester $259,470 Wenatchee $259,130 Panama City $258,500 Olympia $257,200 Bremerton $254,030 Weirton $253,730 Staunton $253,540 Trenton $253,080 Tallahassee $252,910 San Francisco $252,720 Peoria $251,590 Allentown $251,280 Glens Falls $250,870 Virginia Beach $250,370 Saginaw $249,540 McAllen $248,180 Baltimore $247,080 Naples $246,680 Philadelphia $245,190 Traverse City $242,740 Miami $241,470 Ocala $240,660 Lexington Park $239,500 Chambersburg $235,060 Port St. Lucie $233,870 Victoria $231,930 Riverside $230,680 Battle Creek $230,570 Bakersfield $230,380 Lancaster $230,150 Pittsburgh $229,960 Dallas $229,380 Winchester $227,830 Los Angeles $227,670 Walla Walla $227,170 Vallejo $226,390 Sebastian $224,880 Harrisonburg $222,930 Blacksburg $221,580 Tyler $218,910 Terre Haute $218,870 Oxnard $209,890 Harrisburg $209,510 Johnstown $207,330 Flint $205,610 Kiryas Joel $205,100 Chicago $200,780 Punta Gorda $198,680 Grand Rapids $198,430 Homosassa Springs $196,600 Reading $190,380 San Jose $190,260 Sebring $187,140 Watertown $186,060 Monroe $182,900 Erie $180,650 Bellingham $176,510 Stockton $166,080 Buffalo $165,120 Morgantown $160,180 Detroit $148,360 Muskegon $90,340
CityMean salaryvs. Santa Cruz
Albany, Oregon$308,970-1.3%
Albany, New York$286,140-8.6%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$251,280-19.7%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$280,990-10.2%
Amarillo, Texas$346,050+10.6%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$365,500+16.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$281,830-9.9%
Austin, Texas$273,850-12.5%
Bakersfield, California$230,380-26.4%
Baltimore, Maryland$247,080-21.0%
Battle Creek, Michigan$230,570-26.3%
Beaumont, Texas$295,290-5.6%
Beckley, West Virginia$300,990-3.8%
Bellingham, Washington$176,510-43.6%
Binghamton, New York$268,690-14.1%
Blacksburg, Virginia$221,580-29.2%
Bloomington, Illinois$302,230-3.4%
Bloomington, Indiana$302,750-3.2%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$345,110+10.3%
Bremerton, Washington$254,030-18.8%
Brownsville, Texas$311,930-0.3%
Buffalo, New York$165,120-47.2%
Fort Myers, Florida$263,990-15.6%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$235,060-24.9%
Champaign, Illinois$369,270+18.0%
Charleston, West Virginia$261,180-16.5%
Charlottesville, Virginia$267,120-14.6%
Chicago, Illinois$200,780-35.8%
Chico, California$348,950+11.5%
College Station, Texas$279,520-10.7%
Columbus, Indiana$329,280+5.2%
Corpus Christi, Texas$262,960-16.0%
Crestview, Florida$310,860-0.7%
Dallas, Texas$229,380-26.7%
Decatur, Illinois$349,190+11.6%
Deltona, Florida$276,270-11.7%
Detroit, Michigan$148,360-52.6%
El Centro, California$336,520+7.5%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$358,950+14.7%
Elkhart, Indiana$369,970+18.2%
El Paso, Texas$263,410-15.8%
Erie, Pennsylvania$180,650-42.3%
Eugene, Oregon$348,630+11.4%
Evansville, Indiana$316,650+1.2%
Flint, Michigan$205,610-34.3%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$325,560+4.0%
Fresno, California$301,890-3.5%
Gainesville, Florida$272,280-13.0%
Glens Falls, New York$250,870-19.8%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$198,430-36.6%
Grants Pass, Oregon$385,830+23.3%
Hagerstown, Maryland$279,860-10.6%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$209,510-33.0%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$222,930-28.8%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$196,600-37.2%
Houston, Texas$274,630-12.2%
Huntington, West Virginia$268,610-14.2%
Indianapolis, Indiana$322,730+3.1%
Jacksonville, Florida$309,630-1.0%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$207,330-33.7%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$310,610-0.7%
Kankakee, Illinois$307,680-1.7%
Kennewick, Washington$277,050-11.5%
Kiryas Joel, New York$205,100-34.5%
Lafayette, Indiana$353,520+13.0%
Lakeland, Florida$285,480-8.8%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$230,150-26.4%
Lansing, Michigan$287,670-8.1%
Laredo, Texas$269,560-13.9%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$279,940-10.5%
Lexington, Kentucky$270,250-13.6%
Lexington Park, Maryland$239,500-23.5%
Longview, Texas$264,690-15.4%
Los Angeles, California$227,670-27.2%
Louisville, Kentucky$336,370+7.5%
Lubbock, Texas$298,220-4.7%
Lynchburg, Virginia$267,300-14.6%
McAllen, Texas$248,180-20.7%
Merced, California$309,600-1.1%
Miami, Florida$241,470-22.8%
Michigan City, Indiana$359,220+14.8%
Midland, Texas$369,260+18.0%
Modesto, California$283,800-9.3%
Monroe, Michigan$182,900-41.5%
Morgantown, West Virginia$160,180-48.8%
Mount Vernon, Washington$272,850-12.8%
Muncie, Indiana$323,690+3.4%
Muskegon, Michigan$90,340-71.1%
Naples, Florida$246,680-21.2%
New York, New York$270,690-13.5%
Sarasota, Florida$280,320-10.4%
Ocala, Florida$240,660-23.1%
Odessa, Texas$279,280-10.7%
Olympia, Washington$257,200-17.8%
Orlando, Florida$279,750-10.6%
Owensboro, Kentucky$360,910+15.3%
Oxnard, California$209,890-32.9%
Paducah, Kentucky$349,330+11.6%
Palm Bay, Florida$327,210+4.6%
Panama City, Florida$258,500-17.4%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$260,560-16.7%
Pensacola, Florida$290,070-7.3%
Peoria, Illinois$251,590-19.6%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$245,190-21.6%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$229,960-26.5%
Portland, Oregon$304,450-2.7%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$233,870-25.3%
Punta Gorda, Florida$198,680-36.5%
Reading, Pennsylvania$190,380-39.2%
Redding, California$264,730-15.4%
Richmond, Virginia$262,540-16.1%
Riverside, California$230,680-26.3%
Rochester, New York$259,470-17.1%
Rockford, Illinois$295,030-5.7%
Sacramento, California$316,740+1.2%
Saginaw, Michigan$249,540-20.3%
Salem, Oregon$343,300+9.7%
Salinas, California$298,990-4.4%
Salisbury, Maryland$310,200-0.9%
San Angelo, Texas$264,830-15.4%
San Antonio, Texas$304,470-2.7%
San Diego, California$291,840-6.7%
San Francisco, California$252,720-19.2%
San Jose, California$190,260-39.2%
San Luis Obispo, California$288,040-7.9%
Santa Maria, California$277,960-11.2%
Santa Rosa, California$342,000+9.3%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$263,700-15.7%
Seattle, Washington$315,020+0.7%
Sebastian, Florida$224,880-28.1%
Sebring, Florida$187,140-40.2%
South Bend, Indiana$273,370-12.6%
Spokane, Washington$276,150-11.7%
Staunton, Virginia$253,540-19.0%
Stockton, California$166,080-46.9%
Syracuse, New York$275,040-12.1%
Tallahassee, Florida$252,910-19.2%
Tampa, Florida$288,210-7.9%
Terre Haute, Indiana$218,870-30.1%
Texarkana, Texas$392,990+25.6%
Traverse City, Michigan$242,740-22.4%
Trenton, New Jersey$253,080-19.1%
Tyler, Texas$218,910-30.0%
Utica, New York$267,580-14.5%
Vallejo, California$226,390-27.7%
Victoria, Texas$231,930-25.9%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$250,370-20.0%
Waco, Texas$286,260-8.5%
Walla Walla, Washington$227,170-27.4%
Watertown, New York$186,060-40.5%
Weirton, West Virginia$253,730-18.9%
Wenatchee, Washington$259,130-17.2%
Wheeling, West Virginia$331,690+6.0%
Wichita Falls, Texas$303,070-3.1%
Wildwood, Florida$311,210-0.5%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$312,800-0.0%
Winchester, Virginia$227,830-27.2%
Yakima, Washington$319,990+2.3%
Gross salary
312,910/yr
Estimated take-home
198,256/yr
Est. total withheld
36.6%

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 Physicians, All Other salaries in California → All Physicians, All Other 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 29-1229 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