Airfield Operations Specialists Salary
The median pay for a airfield operations specialists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $53,800/year ($25.87/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $49,449 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 88.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About airfield operations specialists
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Airfield operations specialists pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 85.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airfield operations specialists in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $57K | $50K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $86K | $74K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $55K | $52K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $62K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level airfield operations specialists (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $55K spread from bottom to top.
Airfield Operations Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Airfield Operations Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $123K | +117% | 290 |
| Washington | $84K | +48% | 150 |
| Alabama | $79K | +38% | N/A |
| Arizona | $78K | +36% | 160 |
| Colorado | $78K | +36% | 70 |
| Oregon | $75K | +32% | 50 |
| Virginia | $72K | +27% | 280 |
| Alaska | $72K | +26% | 160 |
| New Mexico | $69K | +22% | 50 |
| Georgia | $67K | +17% | 340 |
| California | $63K | +10% | 1,660 |
| Idaho | $63K | +10% | 40 |
| Michigan | $62K | +9% | 440 |
| Nevada | $61K | +8% | 150 |
| Texas | $61K | +7% | 1,310 |
| Utah | $60K | +5% | 290 |
| Florida | $58K | +1% | 2,320 |
| Ohio | $57K | +1% | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | -1% | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | -2% | 340 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -13% | 80 |
| Iowa | $49K | -14% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -19% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -22% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $42K | -25% | N/A |
| New York | $42K | -26% | 2,190 |
| Missouri | $40K | -29% | 310 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -29% | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $39K | -31% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -33% | 190 |
| Indiana | $38K | -34% | 350 |
| North Dakota | $38K | -34% | 80 |
| Montana | $34K | -40% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -41% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -50% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track airfield operations specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airfield operations specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 85.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for airfield operations specialists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airfield operations specialists typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,524/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 124% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is airfield operations specialist a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for airfield operations specialists?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do airfield operations specialists make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $53,800 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,060, and experienced airfield operations specialists can clear $97,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,646/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 85.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a airfield operations specialists salary go in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airfield operations specialists salary is worth about $49,449 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do airfield operations specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.