How Much Does a Paramedic Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Paramedics 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 Paramedic in Santa Cruz, California earns $34.32 per hour, or $71,390 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $5,949 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $52,280, and the top 10% of earners make over $100,630.
That pay is 4% below the California figure of $74,590 and 18% above the national figure of $60,600. Santa Cruz ranks 12th of 16 metro areas in California for Paramedic pay. About 40 Paramedics 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.
Paramedic pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $34.32 an hour, or $71,390 a year.
- That is 4% below the California figure, ranking 12th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $52,280; the top 10% make over $100,630.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Paramedic make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $25.13 an hour to more than $48.38 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Paramedic pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $52,280$25.13 an hour | $53,370$25.66 an hour | $44,230$21.27 an hour |
| First years | $66,140$31.80 an hour | $63,490$30.52 an hour | $49,660$23.88 an hour |
| Typical Paramedic | $71,390$34.32 an hour | $74,590$35.86 an hour | $60,600$29.13 an hour |
| Experienced | $83,550$40.17 an hour | $90,730$43.62 an hour | $73,470$35.32 an hour |
| Top 10% | $100,630$48.38 an hour | $102,450$49.26 an hour | $84,850$40.80 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
Paramedic pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for Paramedics in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2022 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2022, typical Paramedic pay in Santa Cruz was $79,800 a year. By 2025 it had reached $71,390.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
Redding pays Paramedics the most in California at $88,740 a year, $17,350 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $63,840.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | Paramedics employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redding | $88,740 | $42.66 | +24% | 40 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $84,480 | $40.61 | +18% | 110 |
| 3 | Fremont metro incl. Oakland · San Francisco | $83,090 | $39.95 | +16% | 780 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $81,430 | $39.15 | +14% | 390 |
| 5 | Salinas | $80,710 | $38.81 | +13% | 50 |
| 6 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $80,590 | $38.74 | +13% | 60 |
| 7 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $74,900 | $36.01 | +5% | 1,200 |
| 8 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $74,080 | $35.62 | +4% | 70 |
| 9 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $73,930 | $35.54 | +4% | 40 |
| 10 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $72,520 | $34.87 | +2% | 580 |
| 11 | Modesto | $72,170 | $34.70 | +1% | 130 |
| 12 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $71,390 | $34.32 | this city | 40 |
| 13 | Chula Vista | $70,630 | $33.96 | -1% | 430 |
| 14 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $69,050 | $33.20 | -3% | 120 |
| 15 | Merced | $64,100 | $30.82 | -10% | 30 |
| 16 | Visalia | $63,840 | $30.69 | -11% | 50 |
Every metro area in California with Paramedic wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $74,590
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as a Paramedic?
Paramedics in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $71,390 a year, 18% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 0.4 are Paramedic positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.7. That makes Paramedics 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 a Paramedic make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical Paramedic in Santa Cruz earns $71,390 a year, or $34.32 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $52,280 and the top 10% earn over $100,630.
- How much does a Paramedic make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for Paramedics in Santa Cruz is $34.32. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $25.13, and the top 10% earn over $48.38 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Paramedic in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level Paramedic positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $25.13 an hour, or $52,280 a year.
- Is Paramedic pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 4% below the California figure of $74,590 a year, ranking 12th of 16 metro areas in the state. Redding pays the most in California at $88,740.