Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA make a median of $195,650 a year, or about $94.06 an hour. The range runs from $78K at the entry level to $427K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $179,825 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $3,124/month, or 28% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $196K 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 chief executives
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Chief executives pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $196K locally vs. $214K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $3,124/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $234K | $206K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $289K | $250K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $170K | $159K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $238K | $213K |
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 chief executives (10th percentile) start around $78K. Mid-career wages sit at $196K. Top earners bring in $427K or more, a $349K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes — at the median salary of $196K, rent takes 28.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $78K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,679/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 67% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $196K locally vs. $214K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for chief executives?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $196K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $180K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $195,650 a year, that works out to about $94 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $77,990, and experienced chief executives can clear $427,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $196K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,947/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 28.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives 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 chief executives salary is worth about $179,825 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives 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.