Recreation Workers pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,690 a year or less, while the top 10% make $56,690 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Santa Cruz earn between $37,330 and $47,000.
- $37K10th
- $37K25th
- $38KMedian
- $47K75th
- $57K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $43,410 | $3,618 | $20.87 |
| Median | $38,340 | $3,195 | $18.43 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,330 | $3,111 | $17.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $47,000 | $3,917 | $22.60 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $43,410, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $36,188 a year, or $3,016 a month and $1,392 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 recreation workers? 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 $43,410 buys what about $39,501 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 26.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Recreation Workers salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 6th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($54,750).
- San Jose$54,750
- San Francisco$48,810
- Napa$45,860
- Santa Maria$45,460
- Santa Rosa$44,760
- Santa Cruz$43,410
- Sacramento$42,820
- Yuba City$42,790
- San Diego$42,610
- Vallejo$42,490
Highest-paying cities for recreation workers
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).
- Fairbanks, AK$61,070
- San Jose, CA$54,750
- San Francisco, CA$48,810
- Seattle, WA$47,840
- Bozeman, MT$47,520
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Recreation Workers salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do recreation workers make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$20.87 an hour on average, and $18.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,690 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,330, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $36,188 a year ($3,016 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,410. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do recreation workers earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).
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 39-9032; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- 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 1.31, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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