Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, health specialties teachers, postsecondaries earn $104,050 at the median. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $208K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $95,634 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 48.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $104K 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 health specialties teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $104K locally vs. $107K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 49.5% 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 health specialties 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 | $135K | $119K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $357K | $309K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $108K | $96K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $81K | $76K |
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 health specialties teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $104K. Top earners bring in $208K or more, a $140K spread from bottom to top.
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | $168K | +57% | 3,520 |
| District of Columbia | $168K | +56% | 1,460 |
| California | $165K | +54% | 17,350 |
| Washington | $138K | +28% | 4,510 |
| Mississippi | $137K | +28% | 1,890 |
| Colorado | $137K | +28% | 7,800 |
| New Mexico | $135K | +25% | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $135K | +25% | 10,250 |
| New York | $131K | +22% | 21,410 |
| Missouri | $130K | +22% | 5,700 |
| Iowa | $128K | +20% | 3,230 |
| Louisiana | $125K | +17% | 2,250 |
| Arkansas | $125K | +16% | 2,080 |
| Michigan | $109K | +2% | 3,430 |
| Maryland | $108K | +1% | 7,460 |
| Texas | $108K | +1% | 18,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $108K | +1% | 14,890 |
| Vermont | $108K | +0% | 1,170 |
| Georgia | $107K | -0% | 4,860 |
| Virginia | $107K | -0% | 5,040 |
| Delaware | $106K | -1% | 260 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | -3% | 480 |
| Minnesota | $104K | -4% | 3,050 |
| North Carolina | $103K | -4% | 9,240 |
| Oregon | $103K | -4% | 2,170 |
| Maine | $103K | -4% | 730 |
| Idaho | $102K | -5% | N/A |
| Montana | $101K | -6% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $101K | -6% | 510 |
| Arizona | $99K | -8% | 3,620 |
| Tennessee | $99K | -8% | 4,400 |
| Indiana | $98K | -9% | 4,880 |
| New Jersey | $97K | -10% | 2,960 |
| Wyoming | $93K | -13% | 230 |
| Illinois | $93K | -13% | 7,740 |
| Alabama | $92K | -14% | 3,360 |
| Florida | $89K | -17% | 8,500 |
| Kansas | $87K | -19% | 1,060 |
| New Hampshire | $85K | -21% | 430 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -22% | 1,380 |
| South Carolina | $82K | -23% | 1,030 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | -24% | 4,410 |
| Hawaii | $81K | -24% | 290 |
| Nebraska | $81K | -25% | 2,760 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -27% | 270 |
| Nevada | $77K | -28% | 1,230 |
| Oklahoma | $76K | -29% | 950 |
| Ohio | $75K | -30% | 5,670 |
| Alaska | $74K | -31% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $60K | -44% | 2,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track health specialties teachers, postsecondary 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 health specialties teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $104K, rent takes 49.5% 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 health specialties teachers, postsecondaries in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health specialties teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,055/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 77% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is health specialties teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $104K locally vs. $107K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for health specialties teachers, postsecondaries?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $104K median vs. the U.S. average of $107K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — below the national median.
How much do health specialties teachers, postsecondaries make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $104,050 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,580, and experienced health specialties teachers, postsecondaries can clear $207,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $104K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,314/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 49.5% 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 health specialties 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 health specialties teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $95,634 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do health specialties 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.