General Internal Medicine Physicians Salary
The median pay for a general internal medicine physicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $430,970/year ($207.2/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $105K at the entry level to $458K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $392,147 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $4,214/month, or 17.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $431K 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 general internal medicine physicians
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 general internal medicine physicians, local pay runs about 68% higher than the U.S. median of $257K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $4,214/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Santa Cruz-Watsonville offers a genuinely strong financial position for general internal medicine physicianss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for general internal medicine physicians in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $304K | $268K |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $315K | $285K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $352K | $304K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $348K | $315K |
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 general internal medicine physicians (10th percentile) start around $105K. Mid-career wages sit at $431K. Top earners bring in $458K or more, a $352K spread from bottom to top.
General Internal Medicine Physicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View General Internal Medicine Physicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $425K | +66% | 5,440 |
| Rhode Island | $379K | +48% | 300 |
| Minnesota | $374K | +46% | 2,270 |
| Wisconsin | $367K | +43% | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $366K | +43% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $360K | +40% | 1,260 |
| Idaho | $355K | +39% | 130 |
| Washington | $340K | +33% | 1,100 |
| North Dakota | $338K | +32% | 200 |
| Utah | $332K | +29% | 210 |
| Mississippi | $326K | +27% | 390 |
| Maine | $317K | +24% | 270 |
| Indiana | $314K | +23% | 2,380 |
| California | $314K | +22% | 6,370 |
| Alabama | $311K | +21% | 310 |
| Colorado | $300K | +17% | 450 |
| North Carolina | $290K | +13% | 1,700 |
| Massachusetts | $285K | +11% | 1,590 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +9% | 160 |
| Texas | $269K | +5% | 3,850 |
| Oregon | $269K | +5% | 230 |
| Maryland | $260K | +2% | 3,250 |
| Arizona | $259K | +1% | 2,570 |
| Ohio | $250K | -3% | 1,540 |
| Kentucky | $242K | -6% | 1,060 |
| Arkansas | $233K | -9% | 290 |
| Tennessee | $232K | -9% | 1,370 |
| New Hampshire | $229K | -11% | 450 |
| Vermont | $229K | -11% | 180 |
| District of Columbia | $223K | -13% | 490 |
| Florida | $223K | -13% | 2,390 |
| Nebraska | $221K | -14% | 900 |
| Missouri | $217K | -16% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $217K | -16% | 490 |
| Pennsylvania | $213K | -17% | 990 |
| Louisiana | $210K | -18% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $208K | -19% | 980 |
| New York | $183K | -28% | 10,000 |
| Michigan | $150K | -42% | 2,060 |
| Illinois | $141K | -45% | 1,130 |
| Iowa | $123K | -52% | 380 |
| Nevada | $114K | -56% | 390 |
| New Jersey | $90K | -65% | 2,920 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -72% | 630 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track general internal medicine physicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a general internal medicine physician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Yes — at the median salary of $431K, rent takes 19.5% 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 general internal medicine physicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new general internal medicine physicians typically earn — is $105K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,305/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 67% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is general internal medicine physician a high-paying job in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 68% above the national median — $431K here vs. $257K 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 general internal medicine physicians?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $431K median vs. the U.S. average of $257K — that’s +68%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $392K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do general internal medicine physicians make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $430,970 a year, that works out to about $207 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $105,090, and experienced general internal medicine physicians can clear $457,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $431K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $21,629/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 19.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a general internal 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 general internal medicine physicians salary is worth about $392,147 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do general internal 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.
