Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Santa Maria Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area
Figures describe the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Santa Maria city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (5 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 433 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychiatrists | $333,300 | $160.24 | 60 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $296,960 | $142.77 | 280 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $287,230 | $138.09 | 440 |
| 4 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $207,900 | $99.95 | 340 |
| 5 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $207,760 | $99.89 | 700 |
| 6 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $202,030 | Not published | 30 |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $195,650 | $94.06 | 360 |
| 8 | Natural Sciences Managers | $175,400 | $84.33 | 110 |
| 9 | Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $173,640 | Not published | 70 |
| 10 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $171,880 | $82.63 | 70 |
| 11 | Lawyers | $170,970 | $82.20 | 700 |
| 12 | Dentists, General | $170,940 | $82.18 | 140 |
| 13 | Marketing Managers | $170,920 | $82.17 | 340 |
| 14 | Managers, All Other | $167,090 | $80.33 | 900 |
| 15 | Nurse Practitioners | $165,580 | $79.60 | 200 |
| 16 | Human Resources Managers | $165,160 | $79.40 | 210 |
| 17 | Financial Managers | $164,270 | $78.98 | 760 |
| 18 | Pharmacists | $162,520 | $78.13 | 290 |
| 19 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $161,440 | $77.61 | 110 |
| 20 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $159,950 | Not published | 360 |
| 21 | Database Architects | $159,240 | $76.56 | 40 |
| 22 | Veterinarians | $158,840 | $76.36 | 140 |
| 23 | Physician Assistants | $158,360 | $76.14 | 210 |
| 24 | Software Developers | $158,290 | $76.10 | 1,680 |
| 25 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $153,950 | $74.01 | 150 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Santa Maria metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.