Optometrists pay range in Santa Maria
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $165,740 or more. The middle half of optometrists in Santa Maria earn between $119,720 and $155,470.
- $103K10th
- $120K25th
- $140KMedian
- $155K75th
- $166K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $136,250 | $11,354 | $65.50 |
| Median | $140,160 | $11,680 | $67.38 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $119,720 | $9,977 | $57.56 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $155,470 | $12,956 | $74.75 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Optometrists salary after taxes in Santa Maria
On the average salary of $136,250, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $95,814 a year, or $7,984 a month and $3,685 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 optometrists? 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 $136,250 buys what about $125,232 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Optometrists salary in other California cities
Santa Maria ranks 18th of 19 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($172,860).
- Santa Rosa$172,860
- Vallejo$167,000
- San Jose$156,180
- Sacramento$154,040
- Chico$152,250
- San Francisco$152,140
- Modesto$149,020
- Stockton$144,230
- San Diego$143,630
- Santa Maria$136,250
Highest-paying cities for optometrists
Roanoke, VA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($219,610).
- Roanoke, VA$219,610
- Wilmington, NC$204,680
- Trenton, NJ$186,160
- Fort Collins, CO$183,350
- Santa Rosa, CA$172,860
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Optometrists salary in Santa Maria: questions
How much do optometrists make an hour in Santa Maria?
$65.51 an hour on average, and $67.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level optometrists salary in Santa Maria?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $119,720, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the optometrists take-home pay in Santa Maria?
About $95,814 a year ($7,984 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $136,250. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do optometrists earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($143,182).
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 29-1041; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- 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 0.89, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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