Salary comparison
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks: San Francisco vs Santa Cruz
San Francisco, CA pays about 17.7% more for payroll and timekeeping clerks on paper — $80,510 vs $68,380. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, San Francisco comes out ahead by $12,130 a year in real buying power.
San Francisco, CA
$80,510
$66,480
$95,050
$38.71
100
$80,510/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$68,380
$56,970
$75,360
$32.88
100
$68,380/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $12,130 a year (17.7%) in favor of San Francisco. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
San Francisco runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, San Francisco is the better deal by $12,130 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to San Francisco for this role, the raise needs to beat 17.7% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do payroll and timekeeping clerks earn more, San Francisco or Santa Cruz?
San Francisco pays $80,510 on median — about 17.7% more than Santa Cruz ($68,380). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
San Francisco. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, San Francisco gives you roughly$80,510 of real buying power versus $68,380 in the other city.