Architectural and Engineering Managers Salary
The median pay for a architectural and engineering managers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $206,880/year ($99.46/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $128K at the entry level to $283K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $188,244 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $207K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About architectural and engineering managers
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for architectural and engineering managers, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $171K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for architectural and engineering managers in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $191K | $168K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $235K | $212K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $222K | $192K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $203K | $181K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level architectural and engineering managers (10th percentile) start around $128K. Mid-career wages sit at $207K. Top earners bring in $283K or more, a $155K spread from bottom to top.
Architectural and Engineering Managers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Architectural and Engineering Managers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $215K | +26% | 2,270 |
| California | $210K | +23% | 29,630 |
| Massachusetts | $201K | +18% | 7,690 |
| Washington | $190K | +11% | 6,060 |
| District of Columbia | $185K | +8% | 1,290 |
| Colorado | $184K | +7% | 4,900 |
| Delaware | $181K | +6% | 560 |
| New Jersey | $181K | +5% | 4,540 |
| Oregon | $177K | +3% | N/A |
| Virginia | $176K | +3% | 4,390 |
| Rhode Island | $176K | +3% | 370 |
| New York | $176K | +3% | 8,250 |
| Connecticut | $175K | +2% | 4,970 |
| Maryland | $173K | +1% | 5,240 |
| New Hampshire | $172K | +1% | 2,160 |
| Minnesota | $172K | +1% | 4,580 |
| Texas | $171K | +0% | 19,030 |
| Florida | $171K | -0% | 8,710 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -1% | 3,200 |
| North Carolina | $168K | -2% | 6,960 |
| Arizona | $167K | -2% | 4,680 |
| Michigan | $167K | -3% | 14,820 |
| Ohio | $167K | -3% | 9,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $165K | -4% | 9,640 |
| South Dakota | $164K | -4% | 310 |
| Alaska | $164K | -4% | 900 |
| Illinois | $164K | -4% | 8,900 |
| Wyoming | $164K | -5% | N/A |
| Idaho | $163K | -5% | 850 |
| Louisiana | $163K | -5% | 1,840 |
| Alabama | $162K | -5% | 3,790 |
| Nevada | $162K | -6% | 780 |
| Georgia | $161K | -6% | 3,590 |
| Tennessee | $161K | -6% | 3,600 |
| Utah | $161K | -6% | 2,290 |
| Kansas | $160K | -6% | 2,010 |
| Missouri | $158K | -8% | 2,250 |
| Vermont | $158K | -8% | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $157K | -8% | 2,070 |
| Indiana | $156K | -9% | 4,610 |
| Hawaii | $152K | -11% | 1,220 |
| West Virginia | $149K | -13% | 420 |
| Kentucky | $148K | -14% | 1,800 |
| North Dakota | $147K | -14% | 270 |
| Iowa | $147K | -14% | 1,520 |
| Montana | $146K | -15% | 560 |
| Maine | $146K | -15% | 820 |
| Mississippi | $143K | -17% | 860 |
| Wisconsin | $142K | -17% | 4,550 |
| Nebraska | $141K | -18% | 1,510 |
| Arkansas | $141K | -18% | 1,220 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track architectural and engineering managers salary changes
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Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a architectural and engineering manager afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $207K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $3,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for architectural and engineering managers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new architectural and engineering managers typically earn — is $128K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,673/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is architectural and engineering manager a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $207K here vs. $171K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for architectural and engineering managers?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $207K median vs. the U.S. average of $171K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $188K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do architectural and engineering managers make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $206,880 a year, that works out to about $99 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $127,890, and experienced architectural and engineering managers can clear $283,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $207K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,552/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 36.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a architectural and engineering managers salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median architectural and engineering managers salary is worth about $188,244 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do architectural and engineering managers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.