How Much Does an NP Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for NPs 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 NP in Santa Cruz, California earns $80.38 per hour, or $167,190 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $13,933 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $126,540, and the top 10% of earners make over $218,680.
That pay is 1% below the California figure of $168,520 and 26% above the national figure of $132,300. Santa Cruz ranks 9th of 25 metro areas in California for NP pay. About 190 NPs 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.
NP pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $80.38 an hour, or $167,190 a year.
- That is 1% below the California figure, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $126,540; the top 10% make over $218,680.
- Typical pay rose +45% from 2015 to 2025, against +43% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an NP make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $60.84 an hour to more than $105.13 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
NP pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $126,540$60.84 an hour | $120,340$57.86 an hour | $101,340$48.72 an hour |
| First years | $135,960$65.37 an hour | $145,980$70.18 an hour | $117,990$56.73 an hour |
| Typical NP | $167,190$80.38 an hour | $168,520$81.02 an hour | $132,300$63.61 an hour |
| Experienced | $200,610$96.45 an hour | $209,350$100.65 an hour | $156,700$75.34 an hour |
| Top 10% | $218,680$105.13 an hour | $240,830$115.78 an hour | $174,420$83.86 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
NP pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for NPs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical NP pay in Santa Cruz was $115,200 a year. By 2025 it had reached $167,190, a change of +45%, compared with +43% for California over the same years.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
San Jose pays NPs the most in California at $231,560 a year, $64,370 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ventura at $148,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | NPs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose metro incl. Santa Clara · Sunnyvale | $231,560 | $111.33 | +39% | 1,580 |
| 2 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $219,080 | $105.33 | +31% | 3,110 |
| 3 | Vallejo | $182,370 | $87.68 | +9% | 180 |
| 4 | Napa | $176,270 | $84.74 | +5% | 60 |
| 5 | Modesto | $173,380 | $83.36 | +4% | 380 |
| 6 | Sacramento | $172,010 | $82.70 | +3% | 1,170 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $169,920 | $81.69 | +2% | 1,710 |
| 8 | Hanford metro incl. Corcoran | $168,540 | $81.03 | +1% | 70 |
| 9 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $167,190 | $80.38 | this city | 190 |
| 10 | Chico | $167,080 | $80.33 | 0% | 140 |
| 11 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $167,040 | $80.31 | 0% | 280 |
| 12 | Fresno | $166,570 | $80.08 | 0% | 570 |
| 13 | Salinas | $166,090 | $79.85 | -1% | 140 |
| 14 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $165,580 | $79.60 | -1% | 200 |
| 15 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $165,580 | $79.61 | -1% | 430 |
| 16 | Yuba City | $165,020 | $79.34 | -1% | 70 |
| 17 | El Centro | $164,700 | $79.18 | -1% | 70 |
| 18 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $163,860 | $78.78 | -2% | 2,340 |
| 19 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $162,950 | $78.34 | -3% | 140 |
| 20 | Anaheim metro incl. Long Beach · Los Angeles | $161,470 | $77.63 | -3% | 10,060 |
| 21 | Redding | $160,480 | $77.15 | -4% | 120 |
| 22 | Visalia | $159,430 | $76.65 | -5% | 250 |
| 23 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $159,150 | $76.52 | -5% | 280 |
| 24 | Merced | $158,750 | $76.32 | -5% | 100 |
| 25 | Thousand Oaks | $148,800 | $71.54 | -11% | 320 |
Every metro area in California with NP wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $168,520
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as an NP?
NPs in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $167,190 a year, 26% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 1.9 are NP positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.1. NP jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an NP make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical NP in Santa Cruz earns $167,190 a year, or $80.38 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $126,540 and the top 10% earn over $218,680.
- How much does an NP make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for NPs in Santa Cruz is $80.38. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $60.84, and the top 10% earn over $105.13 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an NP in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level NP positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $60.84 an hour, or $126,540 a year.
- Is NP pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 1% below the California figure of $168,520 a year, ranking 9th of 25 metro areas in the state. San Jose pays the most in California at $231,560.