Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondaries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA make a median of $76,250 a year, or about $36.66 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $70,083 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 62.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K 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 career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara sits well above the national pay line for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 63.8% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $75K | $66K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $87K | $75K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $77K | $69K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $74K | $70K |
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 career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $76K spread from bottom to top.
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $83K | +29% | 2,000 |
| South Carolina | $80K | +25% | 1,980 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +23% | 1,660 |
| Washington | $78K | +21% | 3,610 |
| Alaska | $77K | +21% | 1,120 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +21% | 1,510 |
| California | $77K | +20% | 11,040 |
| New York | $75K | +18% | 5,250 |
| Wyoming | $74K | +16% | 360 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +15% | 430 |
| South Dakota | $73K | +14% | 350 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +14% | 2,590 |
| Colorado | $70K | +10% | 2,060 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | +5% | 3,040 |
| Oregon | $65K | +3% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +2% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $65K | +2% | 300 |
| Texas | $65K | +2% | 12,620 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | +2% | 220 |
| Arizona | $65K | +2% | 2,190 |
| Michigan | $63K | -1% | 3,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -1% | 4,780 |
| Alabama | $63K | -2% | 2,350 |
| Illinois | $62K | -2% | 4,420 |
| Vermont | $62K | -2% | 210 |
| Delaware | $62K | -2% | 190 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -2% | 6,510 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -2% | 2,140 |
| Iowa | $62K | -2% | 1,170 |
| Maryland | $62K | -3% | 780 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 950 |
| Maine | $62K | -3% | 510 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -4% | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $61K | -5% | 3,440 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -5% | 1,070 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -5% | 470 |
| Georgia | $60K | -5% | 3,920 |
| Florida | $60K | -6% | 7,600 |
| Idaho | $60K | -6% | 570 |
| Missouri | $60K | -7% | 1,630 |
| Connecticut | $59K | -7% | 1,130 |
| District of Columbia | $59K | -7% | N/A |
| Indiana | $58K | -9% | 2,250 |
| Virginia | $58K | -9% | 1,860 |
| Montana | $57K | -10% | 430 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -12% | 780 |
| Hawaii | $52K | -19% | 70 |
| Utah | $51K | -20% | 2,280 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -21% | 1,030 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -21% | 1,550 |
| Kansas | $49K | -24% | 1,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a career/technical education teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 63.8% 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 $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,794/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 112% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is career/technical education teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $76K here vs. $64K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $76,250 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,570, and experienced career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries can clear $122,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,900/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 63.8% 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 career/technical education teachers, postsecondary 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 career/technical education teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $70,083 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do career/technical education teachers, postsecondaries 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.