Pharmacy Technicians pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,700 a year or less, while the top 10% make $85,420 or more. The middle half of pharmacy technicians in Santa Cruz earn between $46,950 and $60,430.
- $44K10th
- $47K25th
- $50KMedian
- $60K75th
- $85K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $57,870 | $4,822 | $27.82 |
| Median | $50,100 | $4,175 | $24.09 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $46,950 | $3,912 | $22.57 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $60,430 | $5,036 | $29.05 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Pharmacy Technicians salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $57,870, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $47,014 a year, or $3,918 a month and $1,808 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 pharmacy 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 $57,870 buys what about $52,659 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 20.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Pharmacy Technicians salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 9th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($76,740).
- San Jose$76,740
- Napa$71,040
- San Francisco$67,690
- Santa Rosa$63,760
- Vallejo$62,920
- Sacramento$61,150
- San Luis Obispo$59,050
- San Diego$58,640
- Santa Cruz$57,870
- Santa Maria$56,780
Highest-paying cities for pharmacy technicians
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($76,740).
- San Jose, CA$76,740
- Napa, CA$71,040
- San Francisco, CA$67,690
- Seattle, WA$64,360
- Santa Rosa, CA$63,760
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Pharmacy Technicians salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do pharmacy technicians make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$27.82 an hour on average, and $24.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level pharmacy technicians salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,700 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,950, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the pharmacy technicians take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $47,014 a year ($3,918 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,870. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do pharmacy technicians earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 23% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($47,049).
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 29-2052; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
- 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 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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