Pharmacists Salary
The median pay for a pharmacists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $162,520/year ($78.13/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $131K at the entry level to $209K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $149,375 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 32.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $163K 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 pharmacists
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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 pharmacists, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $141K. Rent runs $3,124/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.9% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pharmacists in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $157K | $139K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $177K | $153K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $162K | $152K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $165K | $148K |
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 pharmacists (10th percentile) start around $131K. Mid-career wages sit at $163K. Top earners bring in $209K or more, a $78K spread from bottom to top.
Pharmacists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pharmacists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $167K | +19% | 560 |
| Oregon | $166K | +18% | 3,250 |
| California | $165K | +17% | 34,030 |
| Hawaii | $163K | +16% | 1,190 |
| Washington | $161K | +14% | 7,350 |
| Minnesota | $160K | +13% | 6,310 |
| Colorado | $156K | +11% | 4,560 |
| District of Columbia | $153K | +9% | 850 |
| Delaware | $153K | +8% | 790 |
| Wisconsin | $149K | +6% | 5,730 |
| New Mexico | $147K | +4% | 1,730 |
| Arizona | $147K | +4% | 6,900 |
| South Dakota | $147K | +4% | 1,280 |
| Idaho | $145K | +3% | 1,790 |
| Indiana | $144K | +2% | 6,430 |
| Utah | $144K | +2% | 2,830 |
| Virginia | $144K | +2% | 7,980 |
| New Hampshire | $143K | +1% | 1,130 |
| New York | $142K | +1% | 19,760 |
| Montana | $142K | +1% | 1,190 |
| North Dakota | $142K | +1% | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $141K | +0% | 3,490 |
| Maine | $141K | +0% | 1,380 |
| Nevada | $140K | -1% | 2,500 |
| Wyoming | $140K | -1% | 510 |
| Nebraska | $139K | -1% | 2,450 |
| Illinois | $139K | -1% | 12,070 |
| Maryland | $139K | -1% | 5,400 |
| North Carolina | $139K | -1% | 11,430 |
| Iowa | $139K | -1% | 3,230 |
| Texas | $138K | -2% | 24,700 |
| Massachusetts | $138K | -2% | 7,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $138K | -2% | 14,090 |
| Michigan | $138K | -2% | 8,780 |
| Kansas | $138K | -2% | 3,500 |
| New Jersey | $138K | -2% | 9,420 |
| Missouri | $138K | -2% | 6,740 |
| Georgia | $137K | -3% | 10,530 |
| Ohio | $137K | -3% | 12,790 |
| Kentucky | $137K | -3% | 5,030 |
| Vermont | $136K | -3% | 530 |
| Arkansas | $136K | -3% | 2,900 |
| Florida | $136K | -4% | 21,540 |
| South Carolina | $136K | -4% | 5,320 |
| Oklahoma | $135K | -4% | 3,610 |
| Alabama | $135K | -4% | 5,400 |
| West Virginia | $133K | -5% | 2,260 |
| Tennessee | $133K | -5% | 8,250 |
| Mississippi | $133K | -5% | 3,050 |
| Louisiana | $132K | -6% | 5,610 |
| Rhode Island | $128K | -9% | 1,510 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track pharmacists 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 pharmacist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $163K, rent takes 33.9% 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 $2,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pharmacists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pharmacists typically earn — is $131K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,840/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pharmacist a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $163K here vs. $141K 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 pharmacists?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $163K median vs. the U.S. average of $141K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $149K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pharmacists make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $162,520 a year, that works out to about $78 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $130,670, and experienced pharmacists can clear $208,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $163K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,215/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 33.9% 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 pharmacists 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 pharmacists salary is worth about $149,375 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pharmacists 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.