Chemical Technicians Salary
Chemical Technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $57,390 a year, or about $27.59 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $52,220 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 112.5% of take-home, which is tight.
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 chemical technicians
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Chemical technicians pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $60K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 108.9% 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 chemical technicians in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $58K | $51K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $71K | $62K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $57K | $51K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $67K | $61K |
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 chemical technicians (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chemical Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $86K | +42% | 960 |
| Alaska | $79K | +31% | 100 |
| Delaware | $79K | +30% | 540 |
| South Carolina | $75K | +24% | 2,080 |
| Missouri | $69K | +14% | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $68K | +12% | 1,780 |
| Arizona | $66K | +9% | 390 |
| Vermont | $66K | +9% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $64K | +6% | 40 |
| Colorado | $64K | +6% | 1,180 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +4% | 280 |
| Texas | $63K | +4% | 6,090 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +3% | 870 |
| Washington | $62K | +3% | 730 |
| Illinois | $62K | +2% | 1,320 |
| Rhode Island | $62K | +2% | 190 |
| Kansas | $62K | +2% | 370 |
| Nevada | $62K | +2% | 1,050 |
| New York | $61K | +1% | 2,200 |
| Kentucky | $61K | +1% | 700 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -1% | 610 |
| Ohio | $60K | -1% | 3,120 |
| California | $60K | -1% | 6,800 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -2% | 1,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -2% | 2,710 |
| Indiana | $59K | -2% | 1,990 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -2% | 2,660 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -3% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $59K | -3% | 2,730 |
| Michigan | $58K | -4% | 2,220 |
| Alabama | $58K | -4% | 1,190 |
| Georgia | $58K | -4% | 850 |
| Iowa | $58K | -4% | 440 |
| Oregon | $58K | -4% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -4% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $57K | -5% | 510 |
| District of Columbia | $57K | -6% | 30 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -7% | 230 |
| New Mexico | $55K | -9% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -9% | 1,470 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -10% | 480 |
| Idaho | $55K | -10% | 170 |
| Florida | $54K | -10% | 1,840 |
| Montana | $53K | -12% | 240 |
| Virginia | $52K | -14% | 1,370 |
| Maryland | $49K | -18% | 590 |
| Maine | $49K | -18% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 90 |
| Utah | $49K | -19% | 580 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -19% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -25% | 500 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track chemical 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 chemical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 108.9% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical technicians typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,803/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 150% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chemical technician a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $60K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for chemical technicians?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do chemical technicians make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $57,390 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,710, and experienced chemical technicians can clear $82,330. 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 $3,868/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 108.9% 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 chemical technicians 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 chemical technicians salary is worth about $52,220 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical 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.