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Lab Assistant / Specimen Processor (Lab Aide, Accessioner) salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

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The median annual wage for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (the closest BLS occupation to Lab Assistant / Specimen Processor (Lab Aide, Accessioner)) in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA was $83,100 in BLS OEWS May 2025, and the middle half of workers earned between $77,160 and $86,440.

Broader occupation · SOC 29-2010

BLS occupation: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.

BLS reports Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians as one occupation. It does not publish a separate estimate for Lab Assistant / Specimen Processor (Lab Aide, Accessioner), its setting or its engagement terms.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA versus the nation

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA median is $20,170 (32.1%) above the national median of $62,930.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Pay range for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CAMedian $83,100$33,074$109,069
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, BLS OEWS May 2025.
PointAnnual wage
10th percentile$54,890
25th percentile$77,160
Median$83,100
75th percentile$86,440
90th percentile$100,240
Mean (average)$82,330

United States

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United States
Pay range for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United StatesMedian $62,930$33,074$109,069
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United States, BLS OEWS May 2025.
PointAnnual wage
10th percentile$38,910
25th percentile$47,650
Median$62,930
75th percentile$81,450
90th percentile$100,990
Mean (average)$67,350

For Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, BLS reports a median of $83,100; the middle half of workers earned between $77,160 and $86,440 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Pay range for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CAMedian $39.95$15.90$52.43
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, BLS OEWS May 2025.
PointHourly wage
10th percentile$26.39
25th percentile$37.10
Median$39.95
75th percentile$41.56
90th percentile$48.19
Mean (average)$39.58

United States

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · OEWS May 2025Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United States
Pay range for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United StatesMedian $30.26$15.90$52.43
  • P10 to P90 published range
  • P25 to P75 middle range
  • P50 median
Each mark uses wages published by BLS for this occupation and area. See the percentile table below for exact values.
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, United States, BLS OEWS May 2025.
PointHourly wage
10th percentile$18.71
25th percentile$22.91
Median$30.26
75th percentile$39.16
90th percentile$48.55
Mean (average)$32.38

For Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, BLS reports a median of $39.95; the middle half of workers earned between $37.10 and $41.56 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What BLS wages include and exclude

Included

  • Base rates
  • Commissions
  • Cost-of-living allowances
  • Deadheading pay
  • Guaranteed pay
  • Hazard pay
  • Incentive pay
  • Longevity pay
  • Over-the-road pay (Mileage)
  • Piece rates
  • Portal-to-portal rates
  • Production bonuses
  • Tips

Excluded

  • Attendance bonuses
  • Back pay
  • Clothing allowances
  • Discount
  • Draw
  • Holiday bonus
  • Holiday premium pay
  • Jury duty pay
  • Meal and lodging payments
  • Merchandise discounts
  • Non-production bonuses
  • On-call pay
  • Overtime pay
  • Perquisites
  • Profit-sharing payments
  • Relocation allowances
  • Severance pay
  • Shift differentials
  • Stock bonuses
  • Tool/equipment allowances
  • Tuition repayment
  • Uniform allowance
  • Weekend premium pay
  • Year-end bonuses

Employment: 80 jobs. Location quotient: 0.39.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, BLS OEWS May 2025. SOC 29-2010 Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. BLS page for this occupation. BLS page for Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. CSV

How has published pay changed since the last BLS release?

These are separate BLS estimates, not a wage growth forecast. Survey coverage and area boundaries can change. The table places the published median for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA from BLS OEWS May 2024 next to BLS OEWS May 2025. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.

Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, SOC 29-2010, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Published medians from both reference periods.
Pay basisBLS OEWS May 2024BLS OEWS May 2025
annual$80,110$83,100
hourly$38.52$39.95

Prior release: 2024-05, published 2025-04-02. Current release: 2025-05, published 2026-05-15. A top-coded value is a floor, not an exact median.

What does this pay include, and what does it leave out?

OEWS counts base rates, guaranteed pay and production incentives. It describes pay reported for employees, not an offer for this vacancy. Benefits and self-employed earnings are outside these wage estimates. Compare the regular pay for the duties you need covered.

A BLS occupation can include different settings, shifts and levels; it does not price your exact schedule.

Overtime, shift differentials and on-call pay are excluded. If this job has a call rota or extra shifts, spell out those payments rather than treating the BLS median as the whole package.

Meal and lodging payments and relocation allowances are excluded. A travel per diem for those costs is not part of this wage. Keep it separate from the pay comparison.

Non-production bonuses are excluded. A sign-on or retention payment that is not tied to production should be discussed separately. BLS does not publish an amount to add for that payment.

BLS pay definitions. These notes do not add an estimated bonus or premium.

How does clinical pay compare with management pay here?

These duties map to different BLS occupations. A manager's median is not a promised raise for a clinician. Read the mapping on each page. Each link below opens a related occupation with its own SOC code, published percentiles and source line. Compare the duties before comparing medians, because a title change can mean a different occupation.

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