Audio and Video Technicians Salary
The median pay for a audio and video technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $56,790/year ($27.3/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers.
So what does $57K 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 audio and video technicians
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Audio and video technicians pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $58K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 110% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for audio and video technicians in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $65K | , |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $76K | , |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $59K | , |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $58K | , |
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 audio and video technicians (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Audio and Video Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Audio and Video Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $79K | +36% | 830 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +22% | 2,280 |
| Maryland | $70K | +21% | 1,770 |
| Washington | $69K | +19% | 1,360 |
| New York | $68K | +16% | 7,990 |
| California | $65K | +11% | 9,280 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +10% | 150 |
| Nevada | $63K | +8% | 1,580 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 820 |
| Alaska | $62K | +7% | 70 |
| Illinois | $61K | +5% | 3,020 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +4% | 430 |
| Delaware | $60K | +3% | 130 |
| Michigan | $58K | +0% | 1,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $57K | -2% | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $57K | -2% | 830 |
| New Hampshire | $56K | -3% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -7% | 6,000 |
| Virginia | $54K | -7% | 1,900 |
| Minnesota | $54K | -7% | 960 |
| Oregon | $52K | -10% | 630 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -10% | 440 |
| Vermont | $52K | -11% | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | -12% | 760 |
| Georgia | $51K | -12% | 1,630 |
| Iowa | $51K | -12% | 290 |
| Missouri | $51K | -13% | 1,370 |
| Nebraska | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| Alabama | $50K | -14% | 320 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -14% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -14% | 220 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,640 |
| Idaho | $50K | -14% | 210 |
| Ohio | $50K | -14% | 1,430 |
| Indiana | $50K | -14% | 1,390 |
| Wyoming | $50K | -14% | 50 |
| Texas | $49K | -15% | 4,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -16% | 540 |
| Utah | $49K | -16% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -17% | 600 |
| Arizona | $47K | -19% | 1,340 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -19% | 420 |
| Montana | $47K | -20% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -20% | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -20% | 200 |
| Maine | $46K | -21% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -23% | 860 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -24% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -25% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track audio and video technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a audio and video technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 110% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for audio and video technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new audio and video technicians typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,297/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 183% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is audio and video technician a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $58K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for audio and video technicians?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do audio and video technicians make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $56,790 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,280, and experienced audio and video technicians can clear $94,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,831/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 110% 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 audio and video technicians salary go in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median audio and video technicians salary is worth about $51,674 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do audio and video technicians 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.