Pay distribution $101,260 10th $114,750 25th $162,910 75th $169,240 90th
Half of Registered Nurses in the Santa Maria metro area earn more than $137,360 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $114,750 and $162,910.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $101,260 $114,750 $137,360 $162,910 $169,240 Hourly $48.68 $55.17 $66.04 $78.32 $81.36
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Santa Maria metro areathis metro area
$137,360 median for Santa Maria metro area; middle half earns $114,750 to $162,910
$140,270 median for California; middle half earns $122,440 to $173,170
$97,550 median for United States; middle half earns $80,330 to $112,350
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is −2% vs California overall and +41% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $37,460 $97,220 $156,980 $216,740 Arecibo, PR — $37,460 Aguadilla, PR — $38,000 Ponce, PR — $38,570 Guayama, PR — $38,800 Mayaguez, PR — $39,280 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $41,980 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $66,360 Dothan, AL — $67,430 Decatur, AL — $68,320 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $72,730 Cleveland, TN — $72,800 Eagle Pass, TX — $73,660 Valdosta, GA — $74,360 Joplin, MO-KS — $74,930 Tuscaloosa, AL — $75,250 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $75,310 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $75,350 Jackson, TN — $75,610 Morristown, TN — $75,680 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $75,740 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $75,840 Hammond, LA — $76,200 Hattiesburg, MS — $76,270 Wichita, KS — $76,540 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $76,730 Dubuque, IA — $76,790 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $76,920 Columbus, IN — $77,030 Laredo, TX — $77,050 Huntsville, AL — $77,090 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $77,110 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $77,150 Ames, IA — $77,160 Knoxville, TN — $77,240 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $77,240 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $77,400 Johnson City, TN — $77,660 Gadsden, AL — $77,810 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $77,890 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $77,910 Elizabethtown, KY — $77,930 Lawrence, KS — $78,020 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $78,040 Enid, OK — $78,060 Homosassa Springs, FL — $78,080 Monroe, LA — $78,270 Wheeling, WV-OH — $78,280 Great Falls, MT — $78,290 Cedar Rapids, IA — $78,370 Hot Springs, AR — $78,590 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $78,630 Beckley, WV — $78,680 Birmingham, AL — $78,680 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $78,680 Pocatello, ID — $78,780 Jonesboro, AR — $78,940 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $78,960 Manhattan, KS — $78,960 Warner Robins, GA — $78,980 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $79,000 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $79,040 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $79,070 Bowling Green, KY — $79,120 Ocala, FL — $79,230 Springfield, MO — $79,370 Rapid City, SD — $79,380 Tallahassee, FL — $79,430 Clarksville, TN-KY — $79,450 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $79,450 Mobile, AL — $79,490 Muncie, IN — $79,500 Montgomery, AL — $79,570 Canton-Massillon, OH — $79,610 Fort Wayne, IN — $79,630 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $79,770 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $79,870 Paducah, KY-IL — $79,920 Bloomington, IL — $79,970 Erie, PA — $80,000 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $80,060 Springfield, OH — $80,060 San Angelo, TX — $80,080 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $80,080 Roanoke, VA — $80,090 Morgantown, WV — $80,130 Charleston, WV — $80,230 Abilene, TX — $80,240 Longview, TX — $80,330 Tyler, TX — $80,340 Bloomington, IN — $80,370 Albany, GA — $80,390 Punta Gorda, FL — $80,410 Lynchburg, VA — $80,450 Minot, ND — $80,490 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $80,540 Lawton, OK — $80,570 Texarkana, TX-AR — $80,610 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $80,640 Akron, OH — $80,770 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $80,790 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $80,900 Rockford, IL — $80,930 Wilmington, NC — $80,970 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $81,010 Peoria, IL — $81,010 Toledo, OH — $81,050 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $81,070 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $81,090 Bismarck, ND — $81,120 Baton Rouge, LA — $81,130 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $81,160 Florence, SC — $81,170 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $81,180 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $81,230 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $81,260 Mansfield, OH — $81,300 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $81,300 Sandusky, OH — $81,310 Odessa, TX — $81,370 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $81,400 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $81,400 Lima, OH — $81,440 Lubbock, TX — $81,480 State College, PA — $81,480 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $81,500 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $81,520 Terre Haute, IN — $81,550 Asheville, NC — $81,590 Greenville, NC — $81,670 Alexandria, LA — $81,680 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $81,780 Topeka, KS — $81,820 Ogden, UT — $81,840 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $81,850 Gainesville, FL — $81,870 Columbia, SC — $81,920 Lafayette, LA — $81,960 Port St. Lucie, FL — $82,090 Fargo, ND-MN — $82,120 Midland, TX — $82,120 Missoula, MT — $82,160 Monroe, MI — $82,170 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $82,200 Billings, MT — $82,300 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $82,300 Rocky Mount, NC — $82,300 Spartanburg, SC — $82,360 Pittsburgh, PA — $82,370 Altoona, PA — $82,410 Hinesville, GA — $82,490 Columbus, GA-AL — $82,500 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $82,510 Grand Island, NE — $82,590 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $82,630 Jackson, MS — $82,630 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $82,640 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $82,650 Twin Falls, ID — $82,680 Corpus Christi, TX — $82,690 Goldsboro, NC — $82,740 Elmira, NY — $82,820 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $82,860 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $82,860 Oklahoma City, OK — $82,920 Kansas City, MO-KS — $83,040 Fayetteville, NC — $83,060 Farmington, NM — $83,070 College Station-Bryan, TX — $83,090 Kenosha, WI — $83,110 St. Louis, MO-IL — $83,180 Wichita Falls, TX — $83,280 Dalton, GA — $83,290 Las Cruces, NM — $83,310 Kokomo, IN — $83,370 Jacksonville, FL — $83,520 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $83,550 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $83,650 Victoria, TX — $83,680 Traverse City, MI — $83,690 Sherman-Denison, TX — $83,700 Casper, WY — $83,760 Evansville, IN — $83,820 Rome, GA — $83,880 Columbus, OH — $83,900 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $83,920 Cleveland, OH — $83,940 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $84,030 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $84,040 Idaho Falls, ID — $84,110 Burlington, NC — $84,180 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $84,180 Springfield, IL — $84,220 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $84,230 Sheboygan, WI — $84,240 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $84,320 Columbia, MO — $84,330 Johnstown, PA — $84,390 Omaha, NE-IA — $84,600 Green Bay, WI — $84,700 Jacksonville, NC — $84,750 Tulsa, OK — $84,790 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $84,830 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $84,850 Jefferson City, MO — $85,010 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $85,070 Chambersburg, PA — $85,270 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $85,380 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $85,470 Sebring, FL — $85,690 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $85,870 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $85,890 Iowa City, IA — $85,940 El Paso, TX — $86,100 Logan, UT-ID — $86,120 Winston-Salem, NC — $86,120 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $86,130 Kankakee, IL — $86,220 Sumter, SC — $86,260 Midland, MI — $86,360 St. George, UT — $86,380 Rochester, NY — $86,570 Appleton, WI — $86,680 Savannah, GA — $86,760 Amarillo, TX — $86,850 Syracuse, NY — $86,960 Decatur, IL — $87,170 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $87,340 Lincoln, NE — $87,530 Lewiston, ID-WA — $87,650 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $87,760 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $88,100 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $88,200 Gettysburg, PA — $88,260 Portland-South Portland, ME — $88,470 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $89,090 Wausau, WI — $89,190 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $89,450 Lancaster, PA — $89,620 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $90,230 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $90,620 Lake Charles, LA — $90,690 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $91,380 Dover, DE — $91,620 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $92,390 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $92,770 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $92,800 Waco, TX — $92,890 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $93,030 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $93,330 Eau Claire, WI — $93,410 Killeen-Temple, TX — $93,440 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $93,540 Richmond, VA — $93,580 Fond du Lac, WI — $93,890 Bangor, ME — $93,940 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $93,990 Tucson, AZ — $94,110 Utica-Rome, NY — $94,300 Williamsport, PA — $94,300 Yuma, AZ — $94,320 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $94,370 Cheyenne, WY — $94,540 Lexington Park, MD — $94,780 Salisbury, MD — $94,880 Saginaw, MI — $95,160 Winchester, VA-WV — $95,650 Pueblo, CO — $95,720 Grand Junction, CO — $95,990 Albuquerque, NM — $96,040 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $96,070 Colorado Springs, CO — $96,140 York-Hanover, PA — $96,210 Lebanon, PA — $96,270 Greeley, CO — $96,300 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $96,770 Duluth, MN-WI — $96,940 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $97,280 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $97,360 Battle Creek, MI — $97,520 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $97,600 Flint, MI — $97,780 Boise City, ID — $97,880 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $97,890 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $98,330 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $98,370 Springfield, MA — $98,410 Reading, PA — $98,470 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $98,600 Helena, MT — $98,690 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $98,910 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $99,060 Bozeman, MT — $99,310 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $99,320 Charlottesville, VA — $99,320 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $99,550 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $99,830 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $99,880 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $99,970 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $99,990 Worcester, MA — $100,240 Ithaca, NY — $100,320 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $100,490 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $100,490 Flagstaff, AZ — $100,780 Santa Fe, NM — $100,790 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $100,830 Kingston, NY — $101,030 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $101,130 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $101,180 Madison, WI — $101,190 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $101,270 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $101,330 Carson City, NV — $101,370 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $101,420 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $101,440 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $101,470 Rochester, MN — $101,660 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $101,690 Binghamton, NY — $101,720 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $102,710 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $102,890 Yakima, WA — $102,950 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $103,040 Boulder, CO — $103,290 Barnstable Town, MA — $103,380 Vineland, NJ — $103,380 Mankato, MN — $103,400 Ann Arbor, MI — $103,450 El Centro, CA — $103,450 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $103,940 Glens Falls, NY — $104,000 New Haven, CT — $104,490 Pittsfield, MA — $104,950 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $104,980 St. Cloud, MN — $105,290 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $105,660 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $106,180 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $106,410 Grants Pass, OR — $106,710 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $106,730 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $107,220 Reno, NV — $107,520 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $111,750 Albany, OR — $111,920 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $112,280 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $113,720 Anchorage, AK — $115,290 Walla Walla, WA — $116,970 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $119,720 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $125,020 Visalia, CA — $125,180 Fresno, CA — $125,420 Medford, OR — $127,030 Chico, CA — $127,360 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $128,160 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $128,260 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $128,810 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $130,310 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $131,160 Merced, CA — $131,620 Salem, OR — $131,750 Modesto, CA — $132,590 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $133,940 Redding, CA — $134,350 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $134,580 Salinas, CA — $134,910 Bend, OR — $135,010 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $135,560 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $137,360 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $138,820 Urban Honolulu, HI — $139,260 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $139,520 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $144,350 Yuba City, CA — $149,320 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $170,960 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $171,460 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $174,550 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $186,610 Vallejo, CA — $203,290 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $216,740 Santa Maria metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Santa Maria metro area has the 12th-highest published median for this occupation among the 380 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in California Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for registered nurses, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Santa Maria metro areathis page
$137,360 median for Santa Maria metro area; middle half earns $114,750 to $162,910
$216,740 median for San Jose metro area; middle half earns $165,050 to $223,510
$203,290 median for Vallejo metro area; middle half earns $139,940 to $216,640
$186,610 median for San Francisco metro area; middle half earns $137,120 to $215,630
$174,550 median for Santa Rosa metro area; middle half earns $132,170 to $209,310
$171,460 median for Sacramento metro area; middle half earns $131,830 to $198,580
$170,960 median for Santa Cruz metro area; middle half earns $122,310 to $210,360
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .