How Much Does a Phlebotomist Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Phlebotomists 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 Phlebotomist in Santa Cruz, California earns $28.75 per hour, or $59,800 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,983 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $47,670, and the top 10% of earners make over $95,820.
That pay is 7% above the California figure of $56,040 and 32% above the national figure of $45,230. Santa Cruz ranks 6th of 23 metro areas in California for Phlebotomist pay. About 50 Phlebotomists 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.
Phlebotomist pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $28.75 an hour, or $59,800 a year.
- That is 7% above the California figure, ranking 6th of 23 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $47,670; the top 10% make over $95,820.
- Typical pay rose +56% from 2015 to 2025, against +49% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Phlebotomist make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $22.92 an hour to more than $46.07 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Phlebotomist pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $47,670$22.92 an hour | $45,490$21.87 an hour | $35,780$17.20 an hour |
| First years | $49,520$23.81 an hour | $47,800$22.98 an hour | $38,190$18.36 an hour |
| Typical Phlebotomist | $59,800$28.75 an hour | $56,040$26.94 an hour | $45,230$21.75 an hour |
| Experienced | $75,450$36.27 an hour | $62,790$30.19 an hour | $48,930$23.53 an hour |
| Top 10% | $95,820$46.07 an hour | $74,340$35.74 an hour | $58,780$28.26 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
Phlebotomist pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for Phlebotomists 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 Phlebotomist pay in Santa Cruz was $38,290 a year. By 2025 it had reached $59,800, a change of +56%, compared with +49% for California over the same years.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
Petaluma pays Phlebotomists the most in California at $62,350 a year, $2,550 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is El Centro at $46,910.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | Phlebotomists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $62,350 | $29.98 | +4% | 100 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $60,600 | $29.13 | +1% | 350 |
| 3 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $60,290 | $28.98 | +1% | 190 |
| 4 | Vallejo | $59,920 | $28.81 | 0% | 140 |
| 5 | Napa | $59,840 | $28.77 | 0% | 30 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $59,800 | $28.75 | this city | 50 |
| 7 | Redding | $59,320 | $28.52 | -1% | 90 |
| 8 | Chico | $59,100 | $28.42 | -1% | 100 |
| 9 | Fremont metro incl. Oakland · San Francisco | $58,900 | $28.32 | -2% | 1,410 |
| 10 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $58,170 | $27.97 | -3% | 1,300 |
| 11 | Ventura metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Oxnard | $55,740 | $26.80 | -7% | 190 |
| 12 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $53,560 | $25.75 | -10% | 100 |
| 13 | Salinas | $52,940 | $25.45 | -11% | 110 |
| 14 | Los Angeles metro incl. Long Beach · Anaheim | $52,940 | $25.45 | -11% | 4,720 |
| 15 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $52,560 | $25.27 | -12% | 790 |
| 16 | Modesto | $51,960 | $24.98 | -13% | 190 |
| 17 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $51,490 | $24.75 | -14% | 1,400 |
| 18 | Merced | $51,180 | $24.61 | -14% | 90 |
| 19 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $50,770 | $24.41 | -15% | 180 |
| 20 | Fresno | $49,570 | $23.83 | -17% | 440 |
| 21 | Visalia | $49,390 | $23.74 | -17% | 110 |
| 22 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $47,200 | $22.69 | -21% | 240 |
| 23 | El Centro | $46,910 | $22.55 | -22% | 110 |
Every metro area in California with Phlebotomist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $56,040
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as a Phlebotomist?
Phlebotomists in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $59,800 a year, 32% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 0.5 are Phlebotomist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. That makes Phlebotomists 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 Phlebotomist make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical Phlebotomist in Santa Cruz earns $59,800 a year, or $28.75 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $47,670 and the top 10% earn over $95,820.
- How much does a Phlebotomist make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for Phlebotomists in Santa Cruz is $28.75. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $22.92, and the top 10% earn over $46.07 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Phlebotomist in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level Phlebotomist positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $22.92 an hour, or $47,670 a year.
- Is Phlebotomist pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 7% above the California figure of $56,040 a year, ranking 6th of 23 metro areas in the state. Petaluma pays the most in California at $62,350.