Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Salary
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, environmental scientists and specialists, including healths earn $105,230 at the median, or about $50.59 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $147K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $96,719 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 48.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $105K 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 environmental scientists and specialists, including healths
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara sits well above the national pay line for environmental scientists and specialists, including health, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $82K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 49% 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 environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $108K | $102K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $105K | $93K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $127K | $110K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $106K | $95K |
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 environmental scientists and specialists, including healths (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $147K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $133K | +61% | 1,270 |
| California | $107K | +30% | 12,490 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +23% | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $101K | +22% | 2,930 |
| Washington | $98K | +20% | 4,470 |
| Oregon | $97K | +19% | 1,370 |
| Texas | $92K | +12% | 5,630 |
| Alaska | $92K | +12% | 860 |
| Utah | $91K | +10% | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $88K | +7% | 2,260 |
| New Mexico | $87K | +5% | 940 |
| Colorado | $86K | +5% | 2,580 |
| Georgia | $86K | +4% | 1,750 |
| North Dakota | $85K | +3% | 240 |
| Maryland | $84K | +2% | 1,760 |
| Nevada | $83K | +1% | 490 |
| Virginia | $82K | +0% | 2,850 |
| New York | $82K | -0% | 3,700 |
| West Virginia | $82K | -0% | 250 |
| Connecticut | $82K | -0% | 620 |
| Illinois | $82K | -1% | 1,550 |
| New Hampshire | $81K | -2% | 480 |
| Arizona | $81K | -2% | 1,970 |
| Montana | $80K | -2% | 570 |
| Hawaii | $80K | -3% | 670 |
| New Jersey | $79K | -4% | 3,150 |
| Iowa | $79K | -4% | 690 |
| Ohio | $79K | -4% | 2,460 |
| Kansas | $78K | -5% | 590 |
| Vermont | $77K | -6% | 490 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -7% | 1,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | -7% | 3,020 |
| Michigan | $76K | -7% | 3,100 |
| Oklahoma | $76K | -8% | 520 |
| South Carolina | $75K | -9% | 490 |
| North Carolina | $74K | -10% | 4,150 |
| Wyoming | $74K | -10% | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $73K | -11% | 920 |
| Alabama | $72K | -12% | 870 |
| Kentucky | $71K | -14% | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $70K | -14% | 670 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -15% | 1,600 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -17% | 240 |
| Maine | $66K | -19% | 530 |
| Indiana | $65K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Delaware | $65K | -21% | 290 |
| Nebraska | $64K | -22% | 510 |
| Missouri | $61K | -26% | 1,380 |
| Florida | $61K | -26% | 5,950 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -30% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -30% | 270 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a environmental scientists and specialists, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 49% 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 $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental scientists and specialists, including healths in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental scientists and specialists, including healths typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,001/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 78% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental scientists and specialists, including health a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $105K here vs. $82K 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 environmental scientists and specialists, including healths?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $105,230 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,690, and experienced environmental scientists and specialists, including healths can clear $147,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,374/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 49% 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 environmental scientists and specialists, including health 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 environmental scientists and specialists, including health salary is worth about $96,719 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental scientists and specialists, including healths 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.