Office Clerks, General Salary
Office Clerks, Generals in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA make a median of $55,620 a year, or about $26.74 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $51,121 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 86% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K 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 office clerks, generals
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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 office clerks, general, local pay runs about 24% higher than the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 83.1% 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 office clerks, generals in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $52K | $45K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $50K | $45K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $46K | $43K |
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 office clerks, generals (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Office Clerks, General pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Office Clerks, General salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $55K | +22% | 5,670 |
| Colorado | $54K | +19% | 31,770 |
| Alaska | $52K | +15% | 3,440 |
| Washington | $51K | +12% | 49,050 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +11% | 8,440 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +11% | 47,940 |
| Oregon | $50K | +11% | 27,980 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +9% | 12,740 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +8% | 65,130 |
| California | $48K | +8% | 311,490 |
| Vermont | $48K | +7% | 5,100 |
| Connecticut | $48K | +7% | 23,190 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +6% | 55,530 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +6% | 7,700 |
| Maryland | $47K | +5% | 27,290 |
| Montana | $46K | +3% | 10,390 |
| Arizona | $46K | +3% | 52,710 |
| Virginia | $46K | +3% | 66,550 |
| New York | $46K | +2% | 134,280 |
| Illinois | $46K | +2% | 95,980 |
| Nevada | $45K | +1% | 20,430 |
| Maine | $45K | +1% | 11,260 |
| Wisconsin | $45K | -0% | 51,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -0% | 107,500 |
| Idaho | $45K | -0% | 20,790 |
| Michigan | $45K | -0% | 88,030 |
| Indiana | $45K | -1% | 58,480 |
| Florida | $44K | -1% | 189,700 |
| Iowa | $44K | -2% | 23,120 |
| Utah | $44K | -2% | 36,470 |
| Ohio | $44K | -3% | 89,310 |
| Wyoming | $43K | -5% | 6,670 |
| Delaware | $43K | -5% | 7,230 |
| Missouri | $42K | -6% | 56,050 |
| Hawaii | $42K | -6% | 12,930 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -7% | 67,930 |
| Georgia | $41K | -10% | 75,390 |
| Texas | $39K | -13% | 218,470 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -14% | 49,880 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -14% | 1,720 |
| Kentucky | $38K | -16% | 29,750 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -16% | 10,000 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -17% | 31,870 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -18% | 11,880 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -18% | 29,940 |
| South Carolina | $37K | -18% | 42,250 |
| West Virginia | $35K | -22% | 9,430 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -22% | 17,600 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -28% | 31,790 |
| Kansas | $32K | -28% | 2,130 |
| Alabama | $31K | -31% | 13,130 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track office clerks, general salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a office clerks, general afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 83.1% 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 office clerks, generals in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new office clerks, generals typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,299/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 136% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is office clerks, general a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $56K here vs. $45K 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 office clerks, generals?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do office clerks, generals make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $55,620 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,320, and experienced office clerks, generals can clear $79,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,759/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 83.1% 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 office clerks, general 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 office clerks, general salary is worth about $51,121 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do office clerks, generals 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.