Financial Risk Specialists Salary
Financial Risk Specialists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $101,280 a year, or about $48.69 an hour. The range runs from $86K at the entry level to $136K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $92,157 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 67.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $101K 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 financial risk specialists
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What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Pay for financial risk specialists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $117K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 68.3% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for financial risk specialistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for financial risk specialists in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $113K | $100K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $167K | $145K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $166K | $151K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $121K | $108K |
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 financial risk specialists (10th percentile) start around $86K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $136K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Financial Risk Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Financial Risk Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $158K | +35% | 300 |
| Maine | $141K | +20% | N/A |
| Delaware | $139K | +19% | 1,160 |
| New York | $137K | +17% | 12,060 |
| North Carolina | $132K | +13% | 3,200 |
| Massachusetts | $130K | +11% | 1,440 |
| New Jersey | $129K | +10% | 2,760 |
| California | $129K | +10% | 5,740 |
| Virginia | $127K | +8% | 1,770 |
| Washington | $123K | +5% | 900 |
| Colorado | $120K | +3% | 1,050 |
| Wyoming | $120K | +2% | 170 |
| Maryland | $117K | -0% | 890 |
| Connecticut | $114K | -3% | 660 |
| Oregon | $110K | -7% | 430 |
| Iowa | $106K | -10% | 530 |
| Minnesota | $105K | -10% | 1,190 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | -11% | 450 |
| Illinois | $104K | -11% | 2,920 |
| Michigan | $104K | -11% | 1,150 |
| Texas | $104K | -12% | 4,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $103K | -12% | 2,370 |
| Arizona | $103K | -12% | 1,700 |
| Montana | $101K | -14% | 50 |
| Missouri | $101K | -14% | 1,070 |
| Georgia | $101K | -14% | 2,180 |
| Nevada | $100K | -15% | 570 |
| Florida | $100K | -15% | 3,770 |
| South Carolina | $100K | -15% | 560 |
| Indiana | $99K | -15% | 380 |
| District of Columbia | $99K | -15% | 210 |
| Ohio | $99K | -16% | 2,110 |
| Wisconsin | $98K | -17% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $96K | -18% | 230 |
| West Virginia | $94K | -20% | 50 |
| Nebraska | $94K | -20% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $91K | -22% | 540 |
| Hawaii | $90K | -23% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $87K | -26% | 180 |
| Alaska | $85K | -27% | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $85K | -27% | 330 |
| Kansas | $85K | -28% | 150 |
| Alabama | $82K | -30% | 180 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -33% | 130 |
| Utah | $78K | -34% | 630 |
| Idaho | $77K | -34% | 270 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -36% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $75K | -36% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $66K | -44% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -50% | 520 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track financial risk specialists 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 financial risk specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 68.3% 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 $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for financial risk specialists in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new financial risk specialists typically earn — is $86K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,179/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 81% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is financial risk specialist a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $101K here vs. $117K nationally.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for financial risk specialists?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $117K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $92K — below the national median.
How much do financial risk specialists make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $101,280 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $86,320, and experienced financial risk specialists can clear $135,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,173/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 68.3% 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 financial risk specialists 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 financial risk specialists salary is worth about $92,157 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do financial risk specialists 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.