Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Santa Cruz Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area
Figures describe the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Santa Cruz city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (6 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 328 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $430,970 | $207.20 | Not published |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $305,610 | $146.93 | 190 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $291,880 | $140.33 | Not published |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $209,080 | $100.52 | 220 |
| 5 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $206,880 | $99.46 | 80 |
| 6 | Natural Sciences Managers | $202,380 | $97.30 | 80 |
| 7 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $198,770 | $95.56 | 260 |
| 8 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $182,840 | $87.90 | 30 |
| 9 | Fundraising Managers | $179,130 | $86.12 | 30 |
| 10 | Dentists, General | $175,950 | $84.59 | 90 |
| 11 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $172,590 | $82.98 | 70 |
| 12 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $172,410 | $82.89 | 50 |
| 13 | Registered Nurses | $170,960 | $82.19 | 1,750 |
| 14 | Managers, All Other | $170,650 | $82.04 | 350 |
| 15 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $169,370 | $81.43 | 80 |
| 16 | Marketing Managers | $168,980 | $81.24 | 150 |
| 17 | Nurse Practitioners | $167,190 | $80.38 | 190 |
| 18 | Financial Managers | $165,800 | $79.71 | 400 |
| 19 | Veterinarians | $164,820 | $79.24 | 130 |
| 20 | Lawyers | $164,790 | $79.23 | 350 |
| 21 | Human Resources Managers | $164,570 | $79.12 | 130 |
| 22 | Pharmacists | $161,940 | $77.86 | 170 |
| 23 | Physician Assistants | $159,030 | $76.46 | 120 |
| 24 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $157,630 | Not published | 230 |
| 25 | Software Developers | $156,910 | $75.44 | 540 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Santa Cruz metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.