Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical assistant make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $50,090 a year ($24.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 960 of these jobs there. That is 8% below the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $40,690 and $75,140; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $41,382 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at a glance

Median salary

$50,090$24.08 per hour · $4,174 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$40,690$19.56/hr
25th percentile$47,830$23.00/hr
75th percentile$62,080$29.85/hr
90th percentile$75,140$36.13/hr
Jobs in this metro960Location quotient 1.85 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here8% belowAll-jobs median $54,730
Against California1% aboveStatewide median $49,660
Against the U.S.10% aboveNational median $45,690

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Medical assistant salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA after taxes

$50,090
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$50,090
Net 83%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$41,382After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,449Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,592Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,831 / yr
California state income tax$1,045 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,832 / yr

Medical assistants pay range in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What medical assistants earned in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$19.56/hr$3,391$40,690$34,264
25th percentile$23.00/hr$3,986$47,830$39,702
MedianMedian$24.08/hr$4,174$50,090$41,382
75th percentile$29.85/hr$5,173$62,080$50,297
90th percentile$36.13/hr$6,262$75,140$58,905

Is $50,090 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical assistants next to both.

Median household income$111,093Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.99.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Medical assistant pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for medical assistants in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area was $50,090 in May 2025, about $4,174 a month or $24.08 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $49,660, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical assistants in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $24.08 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.56 an hour and one in ten earned more than $36.13.

How many medical assistants work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS estimated 960 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.85 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical assistants in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA run from $40,690 at the 10th percentile to $47,830 at the 25th, $62,080 at the 75th, and $75,140 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical assistants take home after taxes in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

On a median gross salary of $50,090, an estimated $41,382 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,592 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,708 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do medical assistants make per month in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

On the median annual salary of $50,090, gross monthly income is $4,174. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,449 per month (or $1,592 every two weeks).

Is $50,090 a good salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?

At $50,090, the median salary for medical assistants is 45.1% of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median household income ($111,093). It is 8% below the $54,730 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.9, so prices here run 9.9% above the U.S. average.