Physical therapist · Santa Cruz, CA

Physical therapist in Santa Cruz: $2,671/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median physical therapist wage in Santa Cruz at $124,790 a year. About 160 physical therapist jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.96). The 10th percentile is $91,980 and the 90th is $158,340. Pay ranks 16th-highest of 384 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 3.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,638/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,671 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Chico, about 185 miles away, at $4,529 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,671

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$124,790

$91,980 to $158,340

Rent (1 bd)

$2,638

$3,141 (2 bd)

Employment

160

Location quotient 0.96

Pay rank

16th of 384

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

3.9×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, physical therapist pay of $124,790.

Taxes$3,031
Rent$2,638
Other living costs$2,059
Left over$2,671

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $124,790
Federal income tax: −$19,197
Social Security and Medicare: −$9,546
State income tax (CA): −$7,633
Take-home pay: $88,414
Effective tax rate: 29.1%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,638
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $489
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,697

Left over each month

$10,399 gross, minus $3,031 in tax and $4,697 in living costs.

$2,671

Rank every metro for a physical therapist

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Chico, $4,529/mo.

Physical therapist leftover by city →Best cities for physical therapists to move to →

Physical therapist nearby

Questions

What does a physical therapist make in Santa Cruz?

$124,790 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 160 physical therapist jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a physical therapist in Santa Cruz?

$2,671 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,638, and pay covers 3.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a physical therapist keep more?

Chico, about 185 miles away, leaves $4,529 a month, more than Santa Cruz.