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

How much does a light truck driver make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, light truck drivers earned a median of $43,780 a year ($21.05 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 950 of these jobs there. That is 15% below the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,540 and $83,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,623 in take-home pay.

Light truck driver pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$43,780$21.05 per hour · $3,648 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,540$17.57/hr
25th percentile$38,850$18.68/hr
75th percentile$53,150$25.55/hr
90th percentile$83,580$40.18/hr
Jobs in this metro950Location quotient 0.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here15% belowAll-jobs median $51,690
Against California6% belowStatewide median $46,790
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $44,860

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.

Light truck driver salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$43,780
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,780
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,623After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,052Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,409Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,074 / yr
California state income tax$734 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,349 / yr

Light truck drivers 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 light truck drivers earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.57/hr$3,045$36,540$31,096
25th percentile$18.68/hr$3,238$38,850$32,859
MedianMedian$21.05/hr$3,648$43,780$36,623
75th percentile$25.55/hr$4,429$53,150$43,657
90th percentile$40.18/hr$6,965$83,580$64,101

Is $43,780 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for light truck drivers 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 household44.6%of area median income

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

Light truck driver pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for light truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for light truck drivers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $43,780 in May 2025, about $3,648 a month or $21.05 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $46,790, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for light truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The median hourly wage for light truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $21.05 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.57 an hour and one in ten earned more than $40.18.

How many light truck drivers work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 950 jobs for light truck drivers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.75 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for light truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for light truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $36,540 at the 10th percentile to $38,850 at the 25th, $53,150 at the 75th, and $83,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do light truck drivers take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $43,780, an estimated $36,623 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,409 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,157 (an effective rate of 16.3%).

How much do light truck drivers make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $43,780, gross monthly income is $3,648. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,052 per month (or $1,409 every two weeks).

Is $43,780 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $43,780, the median salary for light truck drivers is 44.6% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 15% below 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.