Mechanical Engineers pay range in Santa Maria
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $84,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,080 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineers in Santa Maria earn between $101,670 and $153,970.
- $84K10th
- $102K25th
- $121KMedian
- $154K75th
- $172K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $130,120 | $10,843 | $62.56 |
| Median | $121,130 | $10,094 | $58.24 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $101,670 | $8,472 | $48.88 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $153,970 | $12,831 | $74.02 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Engineers salary after taxes in Santa Maria
On the average salary of $130,120, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $92,194 a year, or $7,683 a month and $3,546 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% 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 Santa Maria a good place for mechanical engineers? 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 $130,120 buys what about $119,598 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Engineers salary in other California cities
Santa Maria ranks 4th of 23 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($165,920).
- San Jose$165,920
- San Francisco$158,690
- Santa Cruz$139,810
- Santa Maria$130,120
- Salinas$128,240
- San Diego$124,420
- Los Angeles$123,940
- Sacramento$123,710
- Chico$122,870
- Bakersfield$121,730
Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($165,920).
- San Jose, CA$165,920
- San Francisco, CA$158,690
- Santa Cruz, CA$139,810
- Augusta, GA$137,040
- Baton Rouge, LA$136,970
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Mechanical Engineers salary in Santa Maria: questions
How much do mechanical engineers make an hour in Santa Maria?
$62.56 an hour on average, and $58.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical engineers salary in Santa Maria?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $84,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,670, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical engineers take-home pay in Santa Maria?
About $92,194 a year ($7,683 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $130,120. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do mechanical engineers earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,695).
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 17-2141; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
- 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 1.02, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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