SOC 29-1216 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
General Internal Medicine Physicians — Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA · 10 metro areas compared
In Santa Cruz, CA the median wage for General Internal Medicine Physicians reaches $430,970 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.3%
- Openings per year
- 2,100
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Santa Cruz, CA the median wage for General Internal Medicine Physicians reaches $430,970 a year. That is 68.0% more than the national median of $256,560. Pay ranges from under $105,090 at the tenth percentile to more than $457,570 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $319,300 to $445,670.
Within the state, Sacramento records the highest median at $361,590. Of the 328 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 1st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $105,090 | −59.0% |
| 25th | $319,300 | +24.5% |
| Median (50th) | $430,970 | +68.0% |
| 75th | $445,670 | +73.7% |
| 90th | $457,570 | +78.3% |
| Mean | $350,220 | +36.5% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | $361,590 | — | |
| 2 | San Francisco | $351,670 | — | |
| 3 | San Jose | $347,870 | — | |
| 4 | Oxnard | $314,720 | — | |
| 5 | Visalia | $307,430 | 70 | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | $303,980 | — | |
| 7 | San Luis Obispo | $289,840 | — | |
| 8 | San Diego | $282,200 | — | |
| 9 | Bakersfield | $239,200 | — | |
| 10 | Riverside | $99,840 | 650 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Santa Cruz run 9.9% above the national average, so the median of $430,970 buys what $392,147 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 52.8% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$430,970as reported by BLSLocal price level
109.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$392,147US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $430,970 a year, 68.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $105,090 to $457,570 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Sacramento, at $361,590.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for General Internal Medicine Physicians in Santa Cruz, CA?
The median annual wage is $430,970, or $207.20 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $256,560, so pay in Santa Cruz, CA is 68.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Santa Cruz, CA earns more than $457,570 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $105,090 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Sacramento, at $361,590 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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