How Much Does a Sonographer Make in Santa Cruz, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Sonographers 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 Sonographer in Santa Cruz, California earns $68.34 per hour, or $142,150 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $11,846 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $87,190, and the top 10% of earners make over $175,320.
That pay is 11% above the California figure of $128,530 and 47% above the national figure of $96,590. Santa Cruz ranks 6th of 19 metro areas in California for Sonographer pay. About 40 Sonographers 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.
Sonographer pay in Santa Cruz at a glance
- Typical pay is $68.34 an hour, or $142,150 a year.
- That is 11% above the California figure, ranking 6th of 19 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $87,190; the top 10% make over $175,320.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Sonographer make in Santa Cruz?
Pay in Santa Cruz runs from entry-level positions at around $41.92 an hour to more than $84.29 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Sonographer pay by career stage in Santa Cruz
| Career stage | Santa Cruz | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $87,190$41.92 an hour | $62,890$30.24 an hour | $67,820$32.60 an hour |
| First years | $110,940$53.34 an hour | $99,510$47.84 an hour | $80,430$38.67 an hour |
| Typical Sonographer | $142,150$68.34 an hour | $128,530$61.79 an hour | $96,590$46.44 an hour |
| Experienced | $175,320$84.29 an hour | $160,580$77.20 an hour | $106,930$51.41 an hour |
| Top 10% | $175,320$84.29 an hour | $177,780$85.47 an hour | $129,370$62.20 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area as BLS defines it
Sonographer pay growth in Santa Cruz
Typical (median) annual wage for Sonographers in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area · BLS OES May estimates, 2017 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2017, typical Sonographer pay in Santa Cruz was $98,090 a year. By 2025 it had reached $142,150, compared with +33% for California over the same years.
How Santa Cruz compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Sonographers the most in California at $173,150 a year, $31,000 more than Santa Cruz. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $99,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Cruz | Sonographers employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $173,150 | $83.25 | +22% | 500 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $171,170 | $82.30 | +20% | 140 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $163,220 | $78.47 | +15% | 610 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $161,570 | $77.68 | +14% | 90 |
| 5 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $160,270 | $77.05 | +13% | 1,300 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $142,150 | $68.34 | this city | 40 |
| 7 | Modesto | $141,210 | $67.89 | -1% | 200 |
| 8 | Redding | $133,340 | $64.11 | -6% | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $132,490 | $63.70 | -7% | 100 |
| 10 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $130,210 | $62.60 | -8% | 140 |
| 11 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $129,630 | $62.32 | -9% | 720 |
| 12 | Thousand Oaks | $125,750 | $60.46 | -12% | 140 |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,090 | $60.14 | -12% | 40 |
| 14 | Chico | $123,880 | $59.56 | -13% | 80 |
| 15 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $119,430 | $57.42 | -16% | 3,550 |
| 16 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $108,990 | $52.40 | -23% | 180 |
| 17 | Fresno | $107,750 | $51.80 | -24% | 390 |
| 18 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $105,860 | $50.90 | -26% | 960 |
| 19 | Visalia | $99,010 | $47.60 | -30% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with Sonographer wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $128,530
Is Santa Cruz a good place to work as a Sonographer?
Sonographers in Santa Cruz earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $142,150 a year, 47% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Cruz · Watsonville area, about 0.4 are Sonographer positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.6. That makes Sonographers 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 Sonographer make in Santa Cruz, CA?
- A typical Sonographer in Santa Cruz earns $142,150 a year, or $68.34 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $87,190 and the top 10% earn over $175,320.
- How much does a Sonographer make an hour in Santa Cruz?
- Typical hourly pay for Sonographers in Santa Cruz is $68.34. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $41.92, and the top 10% earn over $84.29 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Sonographer in Santa Cruz?
- Entry-level Sonographer positions in Santa Cruz typically offer around $41.92 an hour, or $87,190 a year.
- Is Sonographer pay in Santa Cruz higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Cruz pay is 11% above the California figure of $128,530 a year, ranking 6th of 19 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $173,150.