High paying medical jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run 9.9% above the national average (2024), so a Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA salary is worth about 0.91× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

OccupationMedian, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$305,610
Doctoral or professional degree
$86,680 – $454,440190
2Dentists, General$175,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$106,520 – $225,46090
3Registered Nurses$170,960
Bachelor's degree
$97,980 – $210,8701,750
4Nurse Practitioners$167,190
Master's degree
$126,540 – $218,680190
5Veterinarians$164,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$68,430 – $298,830130
6Pharmacists$161,940
Doctoral or professional degree
$131,330 – $220,760170
7Physician Assistants$159,030
Master's degree
$126,690 – $208,760120
8Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$142,150
Associate's degree
$87,190 – $175,32040
9Respiratory Therapists$134,880
Associate's degree
$100,040 – $161,25070
10Dental Hygienists$130,600
Associate's degree
$106,880 – $145,600220
11Occupational Therapists$130,420
Master's degree
$97,900 – $157,390100
12Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$129,920
Associate's degree
$62,650 – $164,890110
13Physical Therapists$124,790
Doctoral or professional degree
$91,980 – $158,340160
14Optometrists$122,150
Doctoral or professional degree
$82,970 – $164,84050
15Speech-Language Pathologists$118,670
Master's degree
$86,290 – $155,340110
16Dietitians and Nutritionists$103,760
Bachelor's degree
$75,770 – $126,92040
17Surgical Technologists$100,130
Postsecondary nondegree award
$65,260 – $130,48080
18Acupuncturists$91,350
Master's degree
$45,630 – $93,75050
19Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$83,100
Bachelor's degree
$54,890 – $100,24080
20Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$81,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,510 – $101,820340
21Paramedics$71,390
Postsecondary nondegree award
$52,280 – $100,63040
22Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$62,810
Associate's degree
$49,650 – $75,120150
23Medical Records Specialists$60,580
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,100 – $92,360100
24Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$60,510
Postsecondary nondegree award
$45,290 – $101,360130
25Opticians, Dispensing$55,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,910 – $77,46050
26Emergency Medical Technicians$51,970
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,000 – $101,16070
27Pharmacy Technicians$50,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,700 – $85,420260

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianSanta Cruz-Watsonville, CA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$305,610	$86,680 – $454,440	190
2	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$175,950	$106,520 – $225,460	90
3	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$170,960	$97,980 – $210,870	1,750
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$167,190	$126,540 – $218,680	190
5	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$164,820	$68,430 – $298,830	130
6	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$161,940	$131,330 – $220,760	170
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$159,030	$126,690 – $208,760	120
8	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$142,150	$87,190 – $175,320	40
9	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$134,880	$100,040 – $161,250	70
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$130,600	$106,880 – $145,600	220
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$130,420	$97,900 – $157,390	100
12	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$129,920	$62,650 – $164,890	110
13	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$124,790	$91,980 – $158,340	160
14	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$122,150	$82,970 – $164,840	50
15	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$118,670	$86,290 – $155,340	110
16	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$103,760	$75,770 – $126,920	40
17	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$100,130	$65,260 – $130,480	80
18	AcupuncturistsMaster's degree	$91,350	$45,630 – $93,750	50
19	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$83,100	$54,890 – $100,240	80
20	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$81,000	$64,510 – $101,820	340
21	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$71,390	$52,280 – $100,630	40
22	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$62,810	$49,650 – $75,120	150
23	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,580	$46,100 – $92,360	100
24	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,510	$45,290 – $101,360	130
25	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$55,950	$46,910 – $77,460	50
26	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$51,970	$40,000 – $101,160	70
27	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,100	$43,700 – $85,420	260

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

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