Average Salaries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Explore salaries across 438 occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $79.3K, +20.6% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 438 occupations and 193,680 total jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
How the metro compares
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Psychiatrists. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | $333.3K | 60 |
| Physicians, All Other | $297K | 280 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $287.2K | 440 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $207.9K | 340 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $207.8K | 700 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $202K | 30 |
| Chief Executives | $195.7K | 360 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $175.4K | 110 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $173.6K | 70 |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | $171.9K | 70 |
Largest occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 11,020 | $36.2K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 6,470 | $34.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 5,930 | $42.9K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,490 | $37.2K |
| Cashiers | 4,170 | $36.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,630 | $55.6K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 3,540 | $35.3K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,410 | $111.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 3,280 | $137.4K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,890 | $37.9K |
What Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop, Nursery, And Greenhouse | 32.14 | $36.2K |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Farming, Fishing, And Forestry Workers | 19.72 | $48.5K |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 12.57 | $41.9K |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 8.91 | $113.3K |
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 8.39 | $142.6K |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, And Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 8.36 | $100.7K |
| Recreation And Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 7.84 | $77.2K |
| Tapers | 6.76 | $61.9K |
| Traffic Technicians | 6.68 | $84.7K |
| Plasterers And Stucco Masons | 6.36 | $60.1K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.