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Santa Maria engineer salary

Estimate

Updated March 2025

What engineers earn in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro, with a full breakdown by role.

Typical pay

$142,013

Santa Maria

Top earners

$197,882

Higher end

vs national

+18% vs national

U.S. $120,395

State

CA

California

Engineers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro earn an estimated $142,013, +18% vs national, with top earners near $197,882. See the full breakdown by role below, or estimate your own total compensation — the number sharpens as local engineers contribute.

Engineering pay by role in Santa Maria

Estimated pay for each discipline in Santa Maria. Filter the list or open a role for the full picture.

18results

What affects engineering pay in Santa Maria

  • ▹Local market. Santa Maria pay runs +18% vs national for the typical engineer, usually above the California statewide estimate.
  • ▹Industry concentration.A metro's dominant employers (tech, defense, energy, healthcare) shift which engineering disciplines command a premium locally.
  • ▹Experience & specialization. Seniority and in-demand skills swing pay well beyond the metro median — see the role table above and the calculator.
  • ▹Remote work.Remote offers may anchor to a company's HQ market rather than Santa Maria, raising or lowering local pay.

Other California metros

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Engineer salaries in Santa Maria — FAQ

How much do engineers make in Santa Maria?
Engineers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro earn a blended median of $142,013 per year — 18% above the national average — across 9 engineering occupations and 4,120 local jobs. There is no single BLS "engineer" occupation, so this blends the published medians of the engineering occupations reported for the area, weighted by local employment (BLS OEWS May 2024).
What is the highest-paying engineering role in Santa Maria?
Engineering Managers have the highest published median in Santa Maria, at $196,810 per year (BLS OEWS May 2024). Local industry concentration shifts which disciplines command the biggest premium.
How does engineering pay in Santa Maria compare to the national average?
The Santa Maria engineering median of $142,013 is 18% above the national average of $120,395, against a California statewide blend of $154,208.
Source details

BLS publishes no single "engineer" occupation. This blends the published medians of 9 engineering occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, weighted by local employment (4,120 jobs).

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →

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