Electrical Engineers pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $103,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $203,820 or more. The middle half of electrical engineers in Santa Cruz earn between $122,080 and $171,230.
- $104K10th
- $122K25th
- $134KMedian
- $171K75th
- $204K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $147,650 | $12,304 | $70.99 |
| Median | $133,560 | $11,130 | $64.21 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $122,080 | $10,173 | $58.69 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $171,230 | $14,269 | $82.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Electrical Engineers salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $147,650, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $102,545 a year, or $8,545 a month and $3,944 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% 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.
Is Santa Cruz a good place for electrical engineers? 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 $147,650 buys what about $134,354 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Electrical Engineers salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 4th of 20 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($189,370).
- San Jose$189,370
- San Francisco$162,170
- Santa Rosa$148,660
- Santa Cruz$147,650
- Los Angeles$145,760
- Vallejo$144,580
- Santa Maria$141,670
- Sacramento$141,080
- Fresno$137,150
- Salinas$136,120
Highest-paying cities for electrical engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($189,370).
- San Jose, CA$189,370
- San Francisco, CA$162,170
- Albuquerque, NM$158,230
- Austin, TX$157,930
- Manchester, NH$149,130
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Electrical Engineers salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do electrical engineers make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$70.99 an hour on average, and $64.21 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level electrical engineers salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $103,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $122,080, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the electrical engineers take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $102,545 a year ($8,545 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $147,650. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do electrical engineers earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 17% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($125,905).
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 17-2071; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
- 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 0.74, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.74).
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