Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Metropolitan Area · 2024 BLS OEWS data · California statewide data
$64,060
Median Annual Wage
+37% since 2015
$66,420
California Median
-4% vs state
185,280
Total Workers
433
Occupations Tracked
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is a Metropolitan Area with 433 tracked occupations and an estimated 185,280 total workers. Wages grew an average of 37.4% from 2015 to 2024, with Management Occupations and Computer and Mathematical Occupations offering the highest median salaries.
Wages by Occupation Group
Top Occupations
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $205,680 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $200,790 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $196,810 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $171,150 |
| Lawyers | $170,380 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | $169,670 |
| Marketing Managers | $166,690 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $166,630 |
| Pharmacists | $165,810 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $164,970 |
Job Market Trends
2015 → 2024
+37.4%
avg wage growth since 2015
+6.8%
employment change since 2015
Fastest Wage Growth
| Photographers Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations |
+194.0%
$20,720 → $60,910
|
| Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan Office and Administrative Support Occupations |
+177.5%
$19,240 → $53,390
|
| Surveying and Mapping Technicians Architecture and Engineering Occupations |
+133.1%
$32,350 → $75,400
|
| Library Assistants, Clerical Office and Administrative Support Occupations |
+131.7%
$22,890 → $53,040
|
| Medical Transcriptionists Healthcare Support Occupations |
+124.2%
$19,590 → $43,930
|
Most Jobs Added
| Computer Hardware Engineers Architecture and Engineering Occupations |
+400.0%
30 → 160
|
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers Protective Service Occupations |
+300.0%
40 → 160
|
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons Construction and Extraction Occupations |
+300.0%
40 → 170
|
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations |
+300.0%
40 → 160
|
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations |
+200.0%
40 → 120
|
Wage Declines
| Optometrists Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations |
-23.9%
$177,050 → $134,820
|
| Dentists, General Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations |
-19.7%
$155,030 → $124,450
|
| Massage Therapists Healthcare Support Occupations |
-11.2%
$44,000 → $39,070
|
| Advertising Sales Agents Sales and Related Occupations |
-8.7%
$59,330 → $54,150
|
| Sheet Metal Workers Construction and Extraction Occupations |
-5.5%
$83,510 → $78,930
|
Wage Trends in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
View data table
| Year | Median Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| 2024 latest | $64,060 |
| 2023 | $61,710 |
| 2022 | $59,870 |
| 2021 | $58,880 |
| 2020 | $52,170 |
| 2019 | $52,345 |
| 2018 | $49,620 |
| 2017 | $49,740 |
| 2016 | $48,420 |
| 2015 | $46,750 |