Solar Photovoltaic Installers Salary
The median pay for a solar photovoltaic installers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $59,960/year ($28.83/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $55,110 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 79.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K 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.
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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 solar photovoltaic installers, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 77.6% 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 solar photovoltaic installers in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salinas | $62K | $57K |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $60K | $54K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $60K | $52K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | $56K |
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 solar photovoltaic installers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Solar Photovoltaic Installers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Solar Photovoltaic Installers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $79K | +49% | 1,880 |
| Hawaii | $70K | +32% | 420 |
| Nevada | $68K | +28% | 100 |
| Oregon | $66K | +25% | 360 |
| Ohio | $62K | +17% | 70 |
| Washington | $62K | +16% | N/A |
| Maine | $61K | +15% | 60 |
| California | $61K | +14% | 6,830 |
| Illinois | $60K | +12% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +11% | 620 |
| Iowa | $57K | +7% | 180 |
| New York | $56K | +6% | 1,230 |
| Connecticut | $56K | +5% | N/A |
| Arizona | $51K | -4% | 1,280 |
| Florida | $51K | -5% | 2,980 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -5% | N/A |
| Kansas | $50K | -6% | N/A |
| Utah | $50K | -6% | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $50K | -6% | 90 |
| Colorado | $50K | -6% | 620 |
| Vermont | $49K | -7% | 250 |
| Virginia | $49K | -7% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $48K | -9% | 340 |
| Texas | $48K | -9% | 5,270 |
| Georgia | $48K | -10% | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -10% | 1,210 |
| Michigan | $47K | -11% | 310 |
| Indiana | $46K | -13% | 490 |
| Maryland | $45K | -15% | 670 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -16% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $44K | -17% | 710 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -20% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 32 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track solar photovoltaic installers 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 solar photovoltaic installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 77.6% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for solar photovoltaic installers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new solar photovoltaic installers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,894/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 108% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is solar photovoltaic installer a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $60K here vs. $53K 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 solar photovoltaic installers?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do solar photovoltaic installers make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $59,960 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,240, and experienced solar photovoltaic installers can clear $81,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,027/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 77.6% 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 solar photovoltaic installers 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 solar photovoltaic installers salary is worth about $55,110 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do solar photovoltaic installers 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.