How Much Does a Rad Tech Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Rad Techs 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 Rad Tech in Santa Cruz, California earns $62.46 per hour, or $129,920 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,827 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,650, and the top 10% of earners make over $164,890.
That pay is 7% above the California figure of $121,260 and 62% above the national figure of $80,110. Santa Cruz ranks 7th of 24 metro areas in California for Rad Tech pay. About 110 Rad Techs 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.
Rad Tech pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $62.46 an hour, or $129,920 a year.
- That is 7% above the California figure, ranking 7th of 24 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $62,650; the top 10% make over $164,890.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Rad Tech make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $30.12 an hour to more than $79.28 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Rad Tech pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $62,650$30.12 an hour | $70,210$33.76 an hour | $55,980$26.91 an hour |
| First years | $84,690$40.71 an hour | $95,730$46.03 an hour | $64,810$31.16 an hour |
| Typical Rad Tech | $129,920$62.46 an hour | $121,260$58.30 an hour | $80,110$38.52 an hour |
| Experienced | $162,170$77.97 an hour | $137,770$66.24 an hour | $98,750$47.47 an hour |
| Top 10% | $164,890$79.28 an hour | $165,460$79.55 an hour | $118,660$57.05 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
Rad Tech pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for Rad Techs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2019 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2019, typical Rad Tech pay in Santa Cruz was $83,890 a year. By 2025 it had reached $129,920.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays Rad Techs the most in California at $160,380 a year, $30,460 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is El Centro at $92,000.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | Rad Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $160,380 | $77.10 | +23% | 270 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale metro incl. San Jose · Santa Clara | $154,850 | $74.45 | +19% | 1,000 |
| 3 | Fremont metro incl. San Francisco · Oakland | $141,780 | $68.17 | +9% | 2,850 |
| 4 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $137,530 | $66.12 | +6% | 200 |
| 5 | Roseville metro incl. Sacramento · Folsom | $135,880 | $65.33 | +5% | 1,360 |
| 6 | Redding | $129,960 | $62.48 | 0% | 90 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $129,920 | $62.46 | this city | 110 |
| 8 | Modesto | $129,030 | $62.04 | -1% | 370 |
| 9 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $128,480 | $61.77 | -1% | 280 |
| 10 | Napa | $128,170 | $61.62 | -1% | 40 |
| 11 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $113,480 | $54.56 | -13% | 1,770 |
| 12 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $110,770 | $53.26 | -15% | 250 |
| 13 | Anaheim metro incl. Long Beach · Los Angeles | $108,030 | $51.94 | -17% | 6,450 |
| 14 | Thousand Oaks | $107,650 | $51.75 | -17% | 390 |
| 15 | Fresno | $107,350 | $51.61 | -17% | 760 |
| 16 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $105,190 | $50.57 | -19% | 2,140 |
| 17 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $103,670 | $49.84 | -20% | 80 |
| 18 | Chico | $103,000 | $49.52 | -21% | 150 |
| 19 | Salinas | $102,330 | $49.20 | -21% | 150 |
| 20 | Merced | $101,400 | $48.75 | -22% | 80 |
| 21 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $99,210 | $47.70 | -24% | 450 |
| 22 | Visalia | $98,610 | $47.41 | -24% | 170 |
| 23 | Hanford metro incl. Corcoran | $98,120 | $47.17 | -24% | 60 |
| 24 | El Centro | $92,000 | $44.23 | -29% | 60 |
Every metro area in California with Rad Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $121,260
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as a Rad Tech?
Rad Techs in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $129,920 a year, 62% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 1.1 are Rad Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.5. That makes Rad Techs 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 Rad Tech make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical Rad Tech in Santa Cruz earns $129,920 a year, or $62.46 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $62,650 and the top 10% earn over $164,890.
- How much does a Rad Tech make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for Rad Techs in Santa Cruz is $62.46. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $30.12, and the top 10% earn over $79.28 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Rad Tech in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level Rad Tech positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $30.12 an hour, or $62,650 a year.
- Is Rad Tech pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 7% above the California figure of $121,260 a year, ranking 7th of 24 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $160,380.