Home / Wages / Santa Maria-Santa Barbara Santa Maria-Santa Barbara salaries The median worker in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earned $50,240 a year in 2024, about $24.15 an hour. That ranks #71 of the 391 metro areas published here, 1.5% above the national median.
California
Median pay $50,240 $24.15 per hour
Vs national +1.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 201,750 wage and salary
Metro rank #71 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays 11.8% less than California as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 34.23× 11,720 $36,720 First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers 15.87× 610 $50,050 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other 6.99× 1,390 $79,400 Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other 4.61× 690 $48,760 Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary 3.14× 640 $50,330 Painters, Construction and Maintenance 2.86× 840 $49,090 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 2.12× 1,440 $34,270 Self-Enrichment Teachers 2.01× 810 $45,470 Dishwashers 1.94× 1,200 $36,250 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks 1.91× 650 $37,180 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 1.9× 2,340 $44,630 Cooks, Fast Food 1.84× 1,610 $37,010
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara Occupation Median Hourly Employed Chief Executives $205,680 $98.89 380 Computer and Information Systems Managers $200,790 $96.53 760 Architectural and Engineering Managers $196,810 $94.62 330 Nurse Practitioners $171,150 $82.28 210 Lawyers $170,380 $81.91 600 Marketing Managers $166,690 $80.14 360 Pharmacists $165,810 $79.72 260 Financial Managers $163,740 $78.72 730 Software Developers $163,020 $78.38 2,030 Managers, All Other $162,530 $78.14 910 Human Resources Managers $150,930 $72.56 220 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $141,020 n/a 410 Electrical Engineers $134,620 $64.72 260 Registered Nurses $133,470 $64.17 3,140 Dental Hygienists $132,010 $63.47 280 Medical and Health Services Managers $130,930 $62.95 700 Industrial Production Managers $128,460 $61.76 310 Personal Financial Advisors $128,370 $61.72 320 Engineers, All Other $127,770 $61.43 390 Construction Managers $126,220 $60.68 290 Computer Occupations, All Other $125,090 $60.14 780 Industrial Engineers $124,990 $60.09 280 Computer Systems Analysts $124,090 $59.66 650 Mechanical Engineers $122,760 $59.02 390 Physical Therapists $121,330 $58.33 290 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $119,580 $57.49 720 Sales Managers $118,110 $56.79 960 Data Scientists $113,390 $54.52 200 General and Operations Managers $110,030 $52.90 3,440 Construction and Building Inspectors $109,070 $52.44 220 Administrative Services Managers $107,470 $51.67 420 Project Management Specialists $107,060 $51.47 1,100 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $106,990 $51.44 260 Facilities Managers $106,620 $51.26 210 Civil Engineers $106,430 $51.17 550 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $105,820 $50.87 350 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $105,750 $50.84 210 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $105,440 $50.69 220 Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $104,810 n/a 250 Management Analysts $102,260 $49.16 670 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $101,840 $48.96 210 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $100,750 $48.44 220 Web and Digital Interface Designers $100,130 $48.14 250 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $100,060 n/a 1,910 Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $99,930 n/a 1,210 Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School $99,170 n/a 210 Instructional Coordinators $98,410 $47.31 330 Financial and Investment Analysts $94,990 $45.67 410 Logisticians $92,610 $44.53 230 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $90,050 $43.30 750 Insurance Sales Agents $89,030 $42.81 350 Accountants and Auditors $88,160 $42.39 1,500 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors $84,660 $40.70 760 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $83,980 $40.37 550 Fundraisers $83,560 $40.17 210 Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $83,260 $40.03 260 Compliance Officers $82,220 $39.53 390 Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $82,220 $39.53 510 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $81,890 n/a 430 Teachers and Instructors, All Other $81,300 n/a 380
Where most people work Largest occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 11,720 $36,720 $17.65 Fast Food and Counter Workers 5,870 $36,960 $17.77 Home Health and Personal Care Aides 5,710 $33,540 $16.13 Cashiers 4,420 $35,960 $17.29 Retail Salespersons 4,160 $36,480 $17.54 Office Clerks, General 3,810 $53,780 $25.85 Waiters and Waitresses 3,710 $34,340 $16.51 General and Operations Managers 3,440 $110,030 $52.90 Registered Nurses 3,140 $133,470 $64.17 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 2,890 $37,550 $18.06 Stockers and Order Fillers 2,440 $37,530 $18.04 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 2,340 $44,630 $21.46 Cooks, Restaurant 2,320 $43,320 $20.83 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,190 $38,770 $18.64 Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary 2,120 $44,930 n/a Software Developers 2,030 $163,020 $78.38 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,980 $50,460 $24.26 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,970 $53,570 $25.76 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,910 $100,060 n/a Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,800 $37,530 $18.04
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other California metro areas San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 1,134,660 workers $82,470 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont 2,405,740 workers $73,960 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 1,066,390 workers $58,880 Vallejo 142,930 workers $57,170 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1,533,290 workers $56,580 Santa Rosa-Petaluma 204,980 workers $55,140 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pay: common questions What is the average salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara? The median across all occupations is $50,240 , or $24.15 an hour, covering 201,750 wage and salary workers. The mean is $71,250, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pay more than the rest of California? No. The metro median of $50,240 is 11.8% below the California median of $56,940. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara? Chief Executives ($205,680), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($200,790), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($196,810). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara unusually full of? Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, at 34.23× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.