Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary Schools in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $80,100 a year. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $72,884 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 83.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $80K 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for career/technical education teachers, secondary school, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $66K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 82.7% 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | $88K |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $126K | $116K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $72K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $75K | $70K |
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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101K | +53% | 3,460 |
| Connecticut | $101K | +52% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +48% | 3,130 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +26% | 2,320 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +23% | 90 |
| California | $81K | +22% | 3,260 |
| New York | $80K | +20% | 7,610 |
| Delaware | $79K | +20% | 560 |
| Ohio | $79K | +20% | 5,130 |
| Vermont | $79K | +20% | 220 |
| Georgia | $79K | +19% | 1,680 |
| Oregon | $78K | +18% | 750 |
| Maryland | $78K | +18% | 690 |
| Alaska | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Maine | $78K | +18% | 170 |
| Illinois | $78K | +18% | 2,780 |
| Michigan | $77K | +17% | 1,800 |
| New Hampshire | $76K | +15% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | +14% | 4,840 |
| Virginia | $76K | +14% | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +12% | 1,420 |
| Colorado | $73K | +10% | 1,250 |
| Utah | $72K | +9% | 730 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +9% | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $72K | +8% | 880 |
| New Mexico | $67K | +1% | 100 |
| Texas | $65K | -3% | 32,250 |
| Nevada | $65K | -3% | 150 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -5% | 1,310 |
| Arizona | $63K | -5% | 660 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -6% | 210 |
| Florida | $62K | -6% | 6,820 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -7% | 1,000 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -7% | 2,940 |
| North Dakota | $62K | -7% | 640 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -7% | 1,530 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -8% | 330 |
| Idaho | $61K | -9% | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $59K | -10% | N/A |
| Missouri | $59K | -11% | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -11% | 1,170 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -12% | 2,650 |
| Kansas | $58K | -12% | 1,050 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -13% | 1,770 |
| West Virginia | $58K | -13% | 1,000 |
| Iowa | $58K | -13% | 640 |
| Indiana | $56K | -15% | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $56K | -15% | 360 |
| Montana | $55K | -17% | 260 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, secondary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 82.7% 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 $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, secondary schools typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,108/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 103% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is career/technical education teachers, secondary school a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $80K here vs. $66K 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary schools?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $80,100 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $68,470, and experienced career/technical education teachers, secondary schools can clear $98,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,096/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 82.7% 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school 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 career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary is worth about $72,884 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do career/technical education teachers, secondary schools 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.