SOC 47-4011 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro

Construction and Building Inspectors Salary in Santa Maria, CA

The average salary for construction and building inspectors in Santa Maria, California is $116,130 a year ($55.83 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $112,550: half of the 210 people in this job in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 49% more than the U.S. average for this job ($77,730).

$116,130average per year

$55.83 / hourMedian $112,550Take-home ≈ $83,819

  • $60K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $113KMedian
  • $158K75th
  • $165K90th

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

210people in this job
+49%vs U.S. average
#3 of 23California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Construction and Building Inspectors pay range in Santa Maria

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,540 a year or less, while the top 10% make $165,150 or more. The middle half of construction and building inspectors in Santa Maria earn between $83,430 and $158,100.

  • $60K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $113KMedian
  • $158K75th
  • $165K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$116,130$9,678$55.83
Median$112,550$9,379$54.11
Entry level (25th percentile)$83,430$6,952$40.11
Experienced (75th percentile)$158,100$13,175$76.01

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

Construction and Building Inspectors pay in Santa Maria vs. California and the U.S.

Construction and building inspectors in Santa Maria earn 12% more than the California average ($103,850) and 49% more than the U.S. average ($77,730). At the median the gap is +51% against the U.S. median of $74,690.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Maria$116,130$112,550$59,540$165,150210
California$103,850$101,290$56,220$161,55013,420
United States$77,730$74,690$47,140$114,200146,720

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

Construction and Building Inspectors salary after taxes in Santa Maria

On the average salary of $116,130, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $83,819 a year, or $6,985 a month and $3,224 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% 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 construction and building inspectors? 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 $116,130 buys what about $106,739 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 8.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $116,130 is worth in another city

Construction and Building Inspectors salary in other California cities

Santa Maria ranks 3rd of 23 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($124,420).

All Construction and Building Inspectors salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for construction and building inspectors

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($124,420).

Construction and Building Inspectors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Construction and Building Inspectors in Santa Maria, CA.

Construction and Building Inspectors salary in Santa Maria: questions

How much do construction and building inspectors make an hour in Santa Maria?

$55.83 an hour on average, and $54.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level construction and building inspectors salary in Santa Maria?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $59,540 a year and the 25th percentile is $83,430, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the construction and building inspectors take-home pay in Santa Maria?

About $83,819 a year ($6,985 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $116,130. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do construction and building inspectors earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?

The average here is 49% more than the U.S. average for this job ($77,730).

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 47-4011; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
  • 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 1.11, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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