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

How much does a receptionist make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, receptionists earned a median of $44,270 a year ($21.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,020 of these jobs there. That is 14% below the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,260 and $54,670; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $36,997 in take-home pay.

Receptionist pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$44,270$21.28 per hour · $3,689 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,260$17.43/hr
25th percentile$38,670$18.59/hr
75th percentile$48,010$23.08/hr
90th percentile$54,670$26.29/hr
Jobs in this metro1,020Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here14% belowAll-jobs median $51,690
Against Californiaabout the same asStatewide median $44,100
Against the U.S.16% aboveNational median $38,010

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.

Receptionist salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$44,270
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$44,270
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$36,997After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,083Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,423Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,132 / yr
California state income tax$753 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,387 / yr

Receptionists 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 receptionists earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.43/hr$3,022$36,260$30,882
25th percentile$18.59/hr$3,223$38,670$32,722
MedianMedian$21.28/hr$3,689$44,270$36,997
75th percentile$23.08/hr$4,001$48,010$39,836
90th percentile$26.29/hr$4,556$54,670$44,788

Is $44,270 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for receptionists 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 household45.1%of area median income

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

Receptionist pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for receptionists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for receptionists in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $44,270 in May 2025, about $3,689 a month or $21.28 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $44,100, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for receptionists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

The median hourly wage for receptionists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $21.28 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.43 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.29.

How many receptionists work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 1,020 jobs for receptionists in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for receptionists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for receptionists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $36,260 at the 10th percentile to $38,670 at the 25th, $48,010 at the 75th, and $54,670 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do receptionists take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $44,270, an estimated $36,997 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,423 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,273 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do receptionists make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $44,270, gross monthly income is $3,689. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,083 per month (or $1,423 every two weeks).

Is $44,270 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $44,270, the median salary for receptionists is 45.1% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 14% 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.