Tech Program Manager Salary in Santa Cruz, CA

How much does a Tech Program Manager make in Santa Cruz, CA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Tech Program Manager in Santa Cruz, CA is $161,986 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $78.

However, a Tech Program Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $196,094
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $146,820 to $179,839
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $133,012
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered Talent
AI Onboarding
View as table View as graph 25% $146,820 10% $133,012 90% $196,094 75% $179,839 $161,986 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Tech Program Manager Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $179,839 $14,987 $3,458 $86
Average $161,986 $13,499 $3,115 $78
25th Percentile $146,820 $12,235 $2,823 $71
Check out Tech Program Manager Job Openings in Santa Cruz, CA
Program Manager

Jobot - Santa Cruz, CA

Airframe Structures Test Senior Program Manager

Joby Aviation - Santa Cruz, CA

Program Supervisor

Kyo - Santa Cruz, CA

Vegetation Program Lead

Eocene Environmental Group of the West, Inc. - Santa Cruz, CA

Search More Tech Program Manager Jobs in Santa Cruz, CA

Key Factors That Influence Tech Program Manager Salaries

A Tech Program Manager's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Tech Program Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Tech Program Manager's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $157,774
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $158,406
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $159,459
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $160,933
  • Expert (over 8 years): $163,040
Levels Salary
Entry Level Tech Program Manager$157,774
Intermediate Level Tech Program Manager$158,406
Senior Level Tech Program Manager$159,459
Specialist Level Tech Program Manager$160,933
Expert Level Tech Program Manager$163,040
$157,774 0 yr
$158,406 < 2 yrs
$159,459 2-4 yrs
$160,933 5-8 yrs
$163,040 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Tech Program Managers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $182,863
  • San Francisco: $180,861
  • Oakland: $177,050

What Skills Can Increase a Tech Program Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 9.53% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Scrum (Mentioned in 1.25% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.01% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 9.53%
Scrum 1.25%
Continuous Improvement 1.01%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Tech Program Manager's salary.
  • Software Development: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Scrum: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Product Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Software Development
$174,945
8%
Scrum
$173,325
7%
Product Development
$173,325
7%
Computer Science
$171,705
6%
Change Management
$170,085
5%
Supply Chain
$170,085
5%
Get Latest Data

Tech Program Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Tech Program Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 68% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Tech Program Manager positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Tech Program Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Tech Program Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$210,582$101.030%
Pharmaceuticals$202,483$97.025%
Financial Services$194,383$93.020%
Internet$187,904$90.016%
Biotechnology$186,284$90.015%

Tech Program Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Tech Program Manager's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Find Your Next Tech Program Manager Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Tech Program Manager job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • Sunshine Villa, A Merrill Gardens Community

    Santa Cruz, CA

    Sunshine Villa, A Merrill Gardens Community | Santa Cruz, CA

    Job Description. Job Description. Senior Living Active Living Assistant. Are you passionate about working with seniors. Are you dedicated to supporting sen... more

    8 Days Ago

  • University of California, Santa Cruz

    Santa Cruz, CA

    University of California, Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA

    Position overviewPosition title:Coastal Science and Policy Pre-six LecturerSalary range:A reasonable estimate for an appointment to teach a standard five-c... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Secure Nursing Service Inc

    Santa Cruz, CA

    Secure Nursing Service Inc | Santa Cruz, CA

    Secure Nursing Service LLC is seeking a travel nurse RN Cardiac Cath Lab for a travel nursing job in Santa Cruz, California. Job Description & Requirements... more

    6 Days Ago

  • La Bahia Hotel &amp; Spa

    Santa Cruz, CA

    La Bahia Hotel &amp; Spa | Santa Cruz, CA

    ABOUT US. Nestled along the Pacific Coast, La Bahia Hotel & Spa celebrates its dramatic setting where the tip of Monterey Bay touches Sana Cruz's coveted M... more

    6 Days Ago

  • La Bahia Hotel &amp; Spa

    Santa Cruz, CA

    La Bahia Hotel &amp; Spa | Santa Cruz, CA

    ABOUT US. Nestled along the Pacific Coast, La Bahia Hotel & Spa celebrates its dramatic setting, where the tip of Monterey Bay touches Sana Cruz's coveted ... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Beach Street Inn

    Santa Cruz, CA

    Beach Street Inn | Santa Cruz, CA

    Beach Street Inn & Suites is seeking a motivated and energetic Houseman to join our hospitality team.In this vital role, you will ensure our hotel maintain... more

    7 Days Ago

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Cost of Living In Santa Cruz, CA

Cost of Living in Santa Cruz, CA is
61.0% Higher
than the National Average

Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.

Explore Cost of Living Calculator
Empower Your Team

Salary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.

Find Salary.com Comp Consulting
See Salary Trends in 2025

Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.

Price Your Company Jobs and Make Pay Fair

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst