Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation Salary
The median pay for a pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $41,140/year ($19.78/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $37,813 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 110% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 109.4% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Visalia | $39K | $39K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $46K | $41K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| Salinas | $42K | $38K |
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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $63K | +36% | N/A |
| Delaware | $54K | +17% | 40 |
| Oregon | $52K | +11% | 290 |
| Hawaii | $51K | +11% | 60 |
| North Dakota | $50K | +9% | 280 |
| Ohio | $50K | +8% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $49K | +6% | 120 |
| Kansas | $49K | +6% | 520 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +6% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +5% | 360 |
| Arizona | $49K | +5% | 210 |
| Virginia | $49K | +5% | 240 |
| Indiana | $49K | +5% | 950 |
| New York | $48K | +4% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Illinois | $48K | +4% | 1,040 |
| North Carolina | $48K | +4% | 360 |
| Nevada | $48K | +4% | 100 |
| Idaho | $48K | +3% | 610 |
| Nebraska | $48K | +3% | 380 |
| Washington | $47K | +2% | 470 |
| Tennessee | $47K | +2% | N/A |
| Colorado | $47K | +1% | 960 |
| Iowa | $47K | +1% | 600 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -0% | 460 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | -0% | 540 |
| Utah | $45K | -2% | 360 |
| Florida | $45K | -2% | 4,530 |
| California | $45K | -3% | 2,260 |
| Missouri | $45K | -3% | 450 |
| Michigan | $44K | -4% | 860 |
| Maryland | $44K | -4% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $44K | -4% | 320 |
| Alabama | $43K | -6% | 320 |
| Maine | $40K | -13% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -15% | 290 |
| Georgia | $39K | -16% | 1,300 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -16% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -18% | 610 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -18% | 490 |
| Montana | $38K | -19% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -20% | 370 |
| Mississippi | $36K | -23% | 650 |
| Louisiana | $26K | -43% | 220 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 109.4% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,271/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 138% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $41K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $41,140 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,850, and experienced pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations can clear $56,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,856/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 109.4% 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation 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 pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation salary is worth about $37,813 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetations 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.