How Much Does an EMT Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for EMTs in Santa Cruz, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Santa Cruz · Watsonville metro area
A typical EMT in Santa Cruz, California earns $24.98 per hour, or $51,970 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,331 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,000, and the top 10% of earners make over $101,160.
That pay is 12% above the California figure of $46,380 and 17% above the national figure of $44,470. Santa Cruz ranks 3rd of 21 metro areas in California for EMT pay. About 70 EMTs work in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area. Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz · Watsonville metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Watsonville share these figures.
EMT pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $24.98 an hour, or $51,970 a year.
- That is 12% above the California figure, ranking 3rd of 21 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $40,000; the top 10% make over $101,160.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an EMT make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $19.23 an hour to more than $48.63 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
EMT pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $40,000$19.23 an hour | $38,740$18.62 an hour | $34,130$16.41 an hour |
| First years | $45,660$21.95 an hour | $42,610$20.49 an hour | $37,960$18.25 an hour |
| Typical EMT | $51,970$24.98 an hour | $46,380$22.30 an hour | $44,470$21.38 an hour |
| Experienced | $63,630$30.59 an hour | $59,180$28.45 an hour | $50,100$24.09 an hour |
| Top 10% | $101,160$48.63 an hour | $78,150$37.57 an hour | $62,500$30.05 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
EMT pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for EMTs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2021 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2021, typical EMT pay in Santa Cruz was $35,220 a year. By 2025 it had reached $51,970.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
Redding pays EMTs the most in California at $60,120 a year, $8,150 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is Fresno at $38,740.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | EMTs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redding | $60,120 | $28.90 | +16% | 80 |
| 2 | San Jose metro incl. Sunnyvale · Santa Clara | $54,650 | $26.27 | +5% | 830 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $51,970 | $24.98 | this city | 70 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $51,480 | $24.75 | -1% | 3,580 |
| 5 | Roseville metro incl. Sacramento · Folsom | $49,550 | $23.82 | -5% | 1,250 |
| 6 | Napa | $49,340 | $23.72 | -5% | 120 |
| 7 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $47,660 | $22.91 | -8% | 270 |
| 8 | Salinas | $47,370 | $22.77 | -9% | 130 |
| 9 | Modesto | $47,160 | $22.67 | -9% | 440 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $45,750 | $22.00 | -12% | 350 |
| 11 | Ventura metro incl. Oxnard · Thousand Oaks | $45,710 | $21.98 | -12% | 340 |
| 12 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $45,190 | $21.73 | -13% | 120 |
| 13 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $45,090 | $21.68 | -13% | 6,610 |
| 14 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $43,620 | $20.97 | -16% | 1,750 |
| 15 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $43,500 | $20.92 | -16% | 2,340 |
| 16 | Yuba City | $43,470 | $20.90 | -16% | 90 |
| 17 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $43,450 | $20.89 | -16% | 390 |
| 18 | El Centro | $39,840 | $19.15 | -23% | 50 |
| 19 | Visalia | $39,530 | $19.01 | -24% | 170 |
| 20 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $39,310 | $18.90 | -24% | — |
| 21 | Fresno | $38,740 | $18.62 | -25% | 710 |
Every metro area in California with EMT wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $46,380
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as an EMT?
EMTs in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $51,970 a year, 17% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 0.7 are EMT positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.1. That makes EMTs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an EMT make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical EMT in Santa Cruz earns $51,970 a year, or $24.98 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $40,000 and the top 10% earn over $101,160.
- How much does an EMT make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for EMTs in Santa Cruz is $24.98. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $19.23, and the top 10% earn over $48.63 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an EMT in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level EMT positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $19.23 an hour, or $40,000 a year.
- Is EMT pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 12% above the California figure of $46,380 a year, ranking 3rd of 21 metro areas in the state. Redding pays the most in California at $60,120.