SOC 29-2010 · Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians Salary in Santa Cruz, CA

The average salary for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in Santa Cruz, California is $82,330 a year ($39.58 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $83,100: half of the 80 people in this job in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% more than the U.S. average for this job ($67,350).

$82,330average per year

$39.58 / hourMedian $83,100Take-home ≈ $63,184

  • $55K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

80people in this job
+22%vs U.S. average
#6 of 22California metros
110cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians pay range in Santa Cruz

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,240 or more. The middle half of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in Santa Cruz earn between $77,160 and $86,440.

  • $55K10th
  • $77K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$82,330$6,861$39.58
Median$83,100$6,925$39.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$77,160$6,430$37.10
Experienced (75th percentile)$86,440$7,203$41.56

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians pay in Santa Cruz vs. California and the U.S.

Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in Santa Cruz earn 4% more than the California average ($78,840) and 22% more than the U.S. average ($67,350). At the median the gap is +32% against the U.S. median of $62,930.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Cruz$82,330$83,100$54,890$100,24080
California$78,840$76,010$47,580$126,87029,210
United States$67,350$62,930$38,910$100,990332,940

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians salary after taxes in Santa Cruz

On the average salary of $82,330, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $63,184 a year, or $5,265 a month and $2,430 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Santa Cruz a good place for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Santa Cruz area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.9), so the average $82,330 buys what about $74,916 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 14.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $82,330 is worth in another city

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians salary in other California cities

Santa Cruz ranks 6th of 22 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($97,190).

All Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($97,190).

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians salary by city

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Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians salary in Santa Cruz: questions

How much do clinical laboratory technologists and technicians make an hour in Santa Cruz?

$39.58 an hour on average, and $39.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level clinical laboratory technologists and technicians salary in Santa Cruz?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,160, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the clinical laboratory technologists and technicians take-home pay in Santa Cruz?

About $63,184 a year ($5,265 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $82,330. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do clinical laboratory technologists and technicians earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% more than the U.S. average for this job ($67,350).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-2010; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).

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