SOC 19-4071 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro

Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary in Santa Maria, CA

The average salary for forest and conservation technicians in Santa Maria, California is $67,900 a year ($32.65 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,110: half of the 150 people in this job in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($60,985).

$67,900average per year

$32.65 / hourMedian $61,110Take-home ≈ $54,238

  • $47K10th
  • $56K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

150people in this job
+11%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 12California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Forest and Conservation Technicians pay range in Santa Maria

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $98,070 or more. The middle half of forest and conservation technicians in Santa Maria earn between $55,890 and $81,850.

  • $47K10th
  • $56K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $82K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$67,900$5,658$32.64
Median$61,110$5,092$29.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$55,890$4,658$26.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$81,850$6,821$39.35

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

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary after taxes in Santa Maria

On the average salary of $67,900, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $54,238 a year, or $4,520 a month and $2,086 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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.

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Is Santa Maria a good place for forest and conservation technicians? 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 $67,900 buys what about $62,409 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 14.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $67,900 is worth in another city

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in other California cities

Santa Maria ranks 5th of 12 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($77,010).

All Forest and Conservation Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for forest and conservation technicians

Santa Rosa, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($77,010).

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary by city

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Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in Santa Maria: questions

How much do forest and conservation technicians make an hour in Santa Maria?

$32.65 an hour on average, and $29.38 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level forest and conservation technicians salary in Santa Maria?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $55,890, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the forest and conservation technicians take-home pay in Santa Maria?

About $54,238 a year ($4,520 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $67,900. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do forest and conservation technicians earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($60,985).

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 19-4071; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
  • 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 3.80, this job is 3.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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