Salary comparison
Animal Caretakers: Kahului vs Santa Cruz
Kahului, HI pays about 16.1% more for animal caretakers on paper — $46,270 vs $39,870. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Kahului comes out ahead by $6,400 a year in real buying power.
Kahului, HI
$46,270
$37,300
$49,920
$22.24
100
$46,270/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$39,870
$37,160
$46,680
$19.17
100
$39,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $6,400 a year (16.1%) in favor of Kahului. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Kahului runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Kahului is the better deal by $6,400 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Kahului for this role, the raise needs to beat 16.1% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do animal caretakers earn more, Kahului or Santa Cruz?
Kahului pays $46,270 on median — about 16.1% more than Santa Cruz ($39,870). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Kahului. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Kahului gives you roughly$46,270 of real buying power versus $39,870 in the other city.