Conservation Scientists pay range in San Luis Obispo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,680 or more. The middle half of conservation scientists in San Luis Obispo earn between $61,570 and $86,200.
- $58K10th
- $62K25th
- $77KMedian
- $86K75th
- $98K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $77,420 | $6,452 | $37.22 |
| Median | $77,280 | $6,440 | $37.15 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,570 | $5,131 | $29.60 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $86,200 | $7,183 | $41.44 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Conservation Scientists salary after taxes in San Luis Obispo
On the average salary of $77,420, a single filer in San Luis Obispo takes home about $60,174 a year, or $5,014 a month and $2,314 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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.
Is San Luis Obispo a good place for conservation scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Luis Obispo area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.6), so the average $77,420 buys what about $71,292 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Luis Obispo ($50,770). A typical home costs $909,699, or 11.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Conservation Scientists salary in other California cities
San Luis Obispo ranks 13th of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($118,820).
- San Jose$118,820
- San Francisco$99,130
- Santa Cruz$96,480
- Sacramento$92,500
- Salinas$88,500
- Santa Maria$88,130
- San Diego$85,940
- Santa Rosa$85,840
- Oxnard$85,140
- San Luis Obispo$77,420
Highest-paying cities for conservation scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,820).
- San Jose, CA$118,820
- Washington, DC$108,770
- Springfield, IL$105,360
- Amherst, MA$99,360
- San Francisco, CA$99,130
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Conservation Scientists salary in San Luis Obispo: questions
How much do conservation scientists make an hour in San Luis Obispo?
$37.22 an hour on average, and $37.15 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level conservation scientists salary in San Luis Obispo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $58,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,570, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the conservation scientists take-home pay in San Luis Obispo?
About $60,174 a year ($5,014 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,420. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do conservation scientists earn more in San Luis Obispo than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($78,606).
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 19-1031; area San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (42020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- 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 1.54, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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