Opticians, Dispensing pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,460 or more. The middle half of opticians, dispensing in Santa Cruz earn between $48,990 and $77,290.
- $47K10th
- $49K25th
- $56KMedian
- $77K75th
- $77K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $58,650 | $4,888 | $28.20 |
| Median | $55,950 | $4,662 | $26.90 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $48,990 | $4,082 | $23.55 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,290 | $6,441 | $37.16 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Opticians, Dispensing salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $58,650, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $47,594 a year, or $3,966 a month and $1,831 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 opticians, dispensing? 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 $58,650 buys what about $53,369 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 19.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Opticians, Dispensing salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 14th of 21 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($70,420).
- Santa Rosa$70,420
- Vallejo$69,690
- San Jose$66,100
- San Francisco$65,260
- Sacramento$63,200
- Napa$63,080
- San Diego$62,200
- Stockton$61,670
- Santa Maria$60,530
- Santa Cruz$58,650
Highest-paying cities for opticians, dispensing
Bridgeport, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($74,410).
- Bridgeport, CT$74,410
- Norwich, CT$72,040
- Waterbury, CT$70,540
- Santa Rosa, CA$70,420
- Syracuse, NY$70,310
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Opticians, Dispensing salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do opticians, dispensing make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$28.20 an hour on average, and $26.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level opticians, dispensing salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,990, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the opticians, dispensing take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $47,594 a year ($3,966 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $58,650. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do opticians, dispensing earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($52,330).
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 29-2081; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
- 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 1.06, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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