Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $111,970
- Median hourly wage: $53.83
- Total employment: 150 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Santa Cruz. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Facilities managers
- Median annual wage: $115,690
- Median hourly wage: $55.62
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $116,440
- Median hourly wage: $55.98
- Total employment: 190 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $116,480
- Median hourly wage: $56.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $117,900
- Median hourly wage: $56.68
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VH-studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $121,540
- Median hourly wage: $58.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $123,140
- Median hourly wage: $59.20
- Total employment: 450 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $124,370
- Median hourly wage: $59.80
- Total employment: 120 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $126,530
- Median hourly wage: $60.83
- Total employment: 100 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $127,050
- Median hourly wage: $61.08
- Total employment: 120 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $127,120
- Median hourly wage: $61.11
- Total employment: 170 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aykut Erdogdu // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Physical therapists
- Median annual wage: $128,370
- Median hourly wage: $61.72
- Total employment: 140 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Juri Pozzi // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Acupuncturists
- Median annual wage: $128,940
- Median hourly wage: $61.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $129,190
- Median hourly wage: $62.11
- Total employment: 200 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $129,480
- Median hourly wage: $62.25
- Total employment: 160 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
- Median annual wage: $129,880
- Median hourly wage: $62.44
- Total employment: 50 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
REDPIXEL.PL // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Commercial and industrial designers
- Median annual wage: $132,230
- Median hourly wage: $63.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ABO PHOTOGRAPHY // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Occupational therapists
- Median annual wage: $133,850
- Median hourly wage: $64.35
- Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sunshine Seeds // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $134,770
- Median hourly wage: $64.79
- Total employment: 140 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $136,030
- Median hourly wage: $65.40
- Total employment: 440 people (4.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $136,820
- Median hourly wage: $65.78
- Total employment: 110 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $138,740
- Median hourly wage: $66.70
- Total employment: 580 people (5.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $139,560
- Median hourly wage: $67.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $141,170
- Median hourly wage: $67.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $144,520
- Median hourly wage: $69.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
- Median annual wage: $144,660
- Median hourly wage: $69.55
- Total employment: 100 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $145,950
- Median hourly wage: $70.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $151,980
- Median hourly wage: $73.07
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $152,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 230 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $152,020
- Median hourly wage: $73.09
- Total employment: 170 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $154,540
- Median hourly wage: $74.30
- Total employment: Not available
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32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $158,430
- Median hourly wage: $76.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $159,090
- Median hourly wage: $76.49
- Total employment: 180 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $160,250
- Median hourly wage: $77.04
- Total employment: 360 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $161,370
- Median hourly wage: $77.58
- Total employment: 120 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $162,630
- Median hourly wage: $78.19
- Total employment: 150 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $162,740
- Median hourly wage: $78.24
- Total employment: 350 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $164,620
- Median hourly wage: $79.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $164,790
- Median hourly wage: $79.23
- Total employment: 140 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $174,700
- Median hourly wage: $83.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $178,900
- Median hourly wage: $86.01
- Total employment: 1,610 people (16.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $190,590
- Median hourly wage: $91.63
- Total employment: 270 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
VE.Studio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $191,880
- Median hourly wage: $92.25
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $192,800
- Median hourly wage: $92.69
- Total employment: 200 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $195,970
- Median hourly wage: $94.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $202,520
- Median hourly wage: $97.37
- Total employment: Not available
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $214,680
- Median hourly wage: $103.21
- Total employment: 230 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BlurryMe // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 150 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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