Software Developers pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $92,520 a year or less, while the top 10% make $209,260 or more. The middle half of software developers in Santa Cruz earn between $124,210 and $175,720.
- $93K10th
- $124K25th
- $157KMedian
- $176K75th
- $209K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $153,930 | $12,828 | $74.00 |
| Median | $156,910 | $13,076 | $75.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $124,210 | $10,351 | $59.72 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $175,720 | $14,643 | $84.48 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Software Developers salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $153,930, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $106,254 a year, or $8,854 a month and $4,087 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 software developers? 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 $153,930 buys what about $140,069 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 7.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Software Developers salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 9th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($221,710).
- San Jose$221,710
- San Francisco$193,430
- Oxnard$174,020
- San Diego$163,300
- Los Angeles$161,900
- Santa Maria$158,220
- San Luis Obispo$155,770
- Napa$154,740
- Santa Cruz$153,930
- Bakersfield$153,610
Highest-paying cities for software developers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).
- San Jose, CA$221,710
- San Francisco, CA$193,430
- Seattle, WA$174,920
- Oxnard, CA$174,020
- Boulder, CO$166,480
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Software Developers salary in Santa Cruz: questions
How much do software developers make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$74.01 an hour on average, and $75.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level software developers salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $92,520 a year and the 25th percentile is $124,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the software developers take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $106,254 a year ($8,854 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $153,930. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do software developers earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).
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 15-1252; area Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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 0.51, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.51).
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