Natural Sciences Managers pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $125,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $303,550 or more. The middle half of natural sciences managers in Santa Cruz earn between $164,590 and $263,230.
- $126K10th
- $165K25th
- $202KMedian
- $263K75th
- $304K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $211,060 | $17,588 | $101.47 |
| Median | $202,380 | $16,865 | $97.30 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $164,590 | $13,716 | $79.13 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $263,230 | $21,936 | $126.55 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Natural Sciences Managers salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $211,060, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $141,536 a year, or $11,795 a month and $5,444 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% 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 natural sciences managers? 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 $211,060 buys what about $192,054 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Natural Sciences Managers salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 4th of 17 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($252,350).
- San Jose$252,350
- San Francisco$249,930
- San Diego$218,180
- Santa Cruz$211,060
- Oxnard$209,260
- San Luis Obispo$199,540
- Los Angeles$196,290
- Santa Maria$188,630
- Riverside$187,490
- Vallejo$187,300
Highest-paying cities for natural sciences managers
Boston, MA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($260,090).
- Boston, MA$260,090
- San Jose, CA$252,350
- San Francisco, CA$249,930
- Worcester, MA$231,760
- New Haven, CT$228,050
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Natural Sciences Managers salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do natural sciences managers make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$101.47 an hour on average, and $97.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level natural sciences managers salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $125,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $164,590, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the natural sciences managers take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $141,536 a year ($11,795 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $211,060. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do natural sciences managers earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($186,872).
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 11-9121; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- 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 1.19, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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