SOC 25-1194 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in Santa Maria, CA

The average salary for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Santa Maria, California is $84,310 a year ($40.54 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $76,250: half of the 160 people in this job in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% more than the U.S. average for this job ($72,060).

$84,310average per year

$40.54 / hourMedian $76,250Take-home ≈ $64,393

  • $47K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

160people in this job
+17%vs U.S. average
#13 of 19California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay range in Santa Maria

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,570 a year or less, while the top 10% make $122,650 or more. The middle half of career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Santa Maria earn between $59,970 and $102,730.

  • $47K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $103K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$84,310$7,026$40.53
Median$76,250$6,354$36.66
Entry level (25th percentile)$59,970$4,998$28.83
Experienced (75th percentile)$102,730$8,561$49.39

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay in Santa Maria vs. California and the U.S.

Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in Santa Maria earn 7% less than the California average ($90,340) and 17% more than the U.S. average ($72,060). At the median the gap is +19% against the U.S. median of $63,820.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Maria$84,310$76,250$46,570$122,650160
California$90,340$76,630$45,800$168,68011,040
United States$72,060$63,820$41,960$108,620114,110

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary after taxes in Santa Maria

On the average salary of $84,310, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $64,393 a year, or $5,366 a month and $2,477 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Santa Maria a good place for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Santa Maria area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.8), so the average $84,310 buys what about $77,492 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 11.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $84,310 is worth in another city

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in other California cities

Santa Maria ranks 13th of 19 California metro areas for this job; Chico pays the most ($129,060).

All Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary

Chico, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($129,060).

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary by city

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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in Santa Maria: questions

How much do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary make an hour in Santa Maria?

$40.54 an hour on average, and $36.66 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level career/technical education teachers, postsecondary salary in Santa Maria?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,570 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,970, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the career/technical education teachers, postsecondary take-home pay in Santa Maria?

About $64,393 a year ($5,366 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $84,310. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% more than the U.S. average for this job ($72,060).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-1194; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.