Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Salary
The median pay for a stationary engineers and boiler operators in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $64,150/year ($30.84/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $58,961 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 74.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K 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 stationary engineers and boiler operators
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What this looks like in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $79K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 73.1% 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. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for stationary engineers and boiler operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $74K | $66K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $130K | $112K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $100K | $94K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $77K | $69K |
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 stationary engineers and boiler operators (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $116K | +47% | 1,680 |
| Wyoming | $112K | +42% | 100 |
| Hawaii | $103K | +32% | 70 |
| Connecticut | $95K | +21% | 270 |
| New York | $94K | +20% | 4,480 |
| Washington | $92K | +16% | 520 |
| California | $91K | +15% | 5,840 |
| District of Columbia | $90K | +15% | 620 |
| Alaska | $88K | +12% | 90 |
| Maryland | $85K | +8% | 850 |
| Michigan | $83K | +5% | 490 |
| Colorado | $81K | +3% | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | +3% | 530 |
| Nevada | $79K | +1% | 60 |
| Montana | $78K | -1% | 110 |
| Delaware | $78K | -1% | 40 |
| New Jersey | $77K | -3% | 1,400 |
| Utah | $76K | -3% | 110 |
| Minnesota | $76K | -4% | 1,440 |
| Ohio | $75K | -4% | 760 |
| Arizona | $75K | -4% | 80 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -5% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | -7% | 1,730 |
| South Carolina | $73K | -8% | 170 |
| Missouri | $73K | -8% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 370 |
| Georgia | $71K | -10% | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $68K | -13% | 180 |
| Vermont | $68K | -13% | 70 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -13% | 90 |
| Oregon | $68K | -14% | 330 |
| Indiana | $68K | -14% | 290 |
| Iowa | $67K | -14% | 190 |
| Kentucky | $67K | -15% | 90 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | -16% | 60 |
| Florida | $65K | -17% | 170 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -17% | 290 |
| Kansas | $64K | -18% | 120 |
| Idaho | $64K | -18% | 120 |
| Virginia | $64K | -18% | 350 |
| Texas | $64K | -19% | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -19% | 60 |
| Maine | $63K | -20% | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -22% | 270 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -23% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $58K | -26% | 200 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -32% | 200 |
| Alabama | $53K | -32% | 220 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -32% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -39% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track stationary engineers and boiler operators 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 stationary engineers and boiler operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 73.1% 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 $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new stationary engineers and boiler operators typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,413/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 129% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is stationary engineers and boiler operator a high-paying job in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $64K here vs. $79K nationally.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for stationary engineers and boiler operators?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do stationary engineers and boiler operators make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $64,150 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,210, and experienced stationary engineers and boiler operators can clear $103,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,274/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 73.1% 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 stationary engineers and boiler operators 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 stationary engineers and boiler operators salary is worth about $58,961 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do stationary engineers and boiler operators 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.