Family Medicine Physicians Salary
Family Medicine Physicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $291,880 a year, or about $140.33 an hour. The range runs from $166K at the entry level to $447K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $265,587 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $4,214/month, or 26.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $292K 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 family medicine physicians
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for family medicine physicians, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $244K. Rent runs $4,214/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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 family medicine physicians in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $299K | $281K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $187K | $164K |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $345K | $318K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $305K | $263K |
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 family medicine physicians (10th percentile) start around $166K. Mid-career wages sit at $292K. Top earners bring in $447K or more, a $281K spread from bottom to top.
Family Medicine Physicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Family Medicine Physicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $467K | +91% | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $361K | +48% | 2,170 |
| Idaho | $347K | +42% | 690 |
| Montana | $331K | +35% | 460 |
| Alaska | $323K | +32% | 760 |
| Pennsylvania | $306K | +25% | 4,190 |
| Utah | $298K | +22% | 550 |
| Oregon | $293K | +20% | 1,490 |
| Washington | $293K | +20% | 1,270 |
| Arizona | $293K | +20% | 2,620 |
| New Jersey | $292K | +20% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $291K | +19% | 1,470 |
| Maryland | $286K | +17% | 1,050 |
| North Dakota | $280K | +15% | 260 |
| Minnesota | $280K | +15% | 1,820 |
| Massachusetts | $277K | +14% | 3,540 |
| West Virginia | $273K | +12% | 320 |
| New Hampshire | $269K | +10% | 350 |
| Colorado | $266K | +9% | 2,700 |
| Iowa | $265K | +9% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $265K | +8% | 100 |
| Indiana | $262K | +7% | 1,410 |
| Georgia | $259K | +6% | 3,690 |
| Louisiana | $255K | +5% | 1,090 |
| California | $252K | +3% | N/A |
| Nevada | $252K | +3% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $249K | +2% | 1,170 |
| Illinois | $245K | +0% | 1,960 |
| South Dakota | $240K | -2% | 550 |
| Maine | $240K | -2% | 730 |
| Vermont | $239K | -2% | 240 |
| South Carolina | $239K | -2% | 1,200 |
| Texas | $236K | -3% | 6,190 |
| Mississippi | $236K | -4% | 570 |
| District of Columbia | $233K | -4% | 150 |
| Kansas | $229K | -6% | 210 |
| Nebraska | $229K | -6% | 830 |
| New Mexico | $228K | -7% | 650 |
| Delaware | $228K | -7% | 640 |
| Florida | $228K | -7% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $227K | -7% | 2,260 |
| Ohio | $224K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Virginia | $223K | -9% | 2,930 |
| Hawaii | $218K | -11% | 260 |
| Arkansas | $216K | -12% | 290 |
| North Carolina | $215K | -12% | 1,520 |
| Michigan | $214K | -12% | 3,770 |
| New York | $211K | -14% | 4,000 |
| Missouri | $171K | -30% | 3,740 |
| Connecticut | $164K | -33% | 790 |
| Alabama | $135K | -45% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track family medicine physicians 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 family medicine physician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Yes — at the median salary of $292K, rent takes 27.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for family medicine physicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new family medicine physicians typically earn — is $166K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $9,959/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is family medicine physician a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $292K here vs. $244K 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 family medicine physicians?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $292K median vs. the U.S. average of $244K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $266K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do family medicine physicians make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $291,880 a year, that works out to about $140 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $165,990, and experienced family medicine physicians can clear $446,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $292K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $15,514/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 27.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a family medicine physicians 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 family medicine physicians salary is worth about $265,587 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do family medicine physicians 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.
