Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $102,840 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,060 of these jobs there. That is 99% above the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $67,770 and $127,320; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $75,859 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$102,840$8,570 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$67,770—
25th percentile$80,810—
75th percentile$126,070—
90th percentile$127,320—
Jobs in this metro1,060Location quotient 0.77 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here99% aboveAll-jobs median $51,690
Against California1% aboveStatewide median $101,370
Against the U.S.43% aboveNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$102,840
$40,000$210,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$102,840
Net 74%
Fed 13%
CA 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$75,859After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,322Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,918Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate26.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$13,795 / yr
California state income tax$5,319 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$7,867 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Santa Maria, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile—$5,648$67,770$54,310
25th percentile—$6,734$80,810$62,410
MedianMedian—$8,570$102,840$75,859
75th percentile—$10,506$126,070$89,955
90th percentile—$10,610$127,320$90,693

Is $102,840 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$98,161Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)108.88.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household104.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $102,840 in May 2025, about $8,570 a month. Statewide, the California median for this job is $101,370, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 1,060 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.77 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $67,770 at the 10th percentile to $80,810 at the 25th, $126,070 at the 75th, and $127,320 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $102,840, an estimated $75,859 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,918 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $26,981 (an effective rate of 26.2%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $102,840, gross monthly income is $8,570. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $6,322 per month (or $2,918 every two weeks).

Is $102,840 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $102,840, the median salary for high school teachers is 104.8% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 99% above the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.8, so prices here run 8.8% above the U.S. average.