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

How much does a software developer make in Santa Maria, CA?

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, software developers earned a median of $158,290 a year ($76.10 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,680 of these jobs there. That is 206% above the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $99,670 and $215,750; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $108,981 in take-home pay.

Software developer pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$158,290$76.10 per hour · $13,191 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$99,670$47.92/hr
25th percentile$127,490$61.29/hr
75th percentile$173,660$83.49/hr
90th percentile$215,750$103.73/hr
Jobs in this metro1,680Location quotient 0.77 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here206% aboveAll-jobs median $51,690
Against California9% belowStatewide median $174,410
Against the U.S.16% aboveNational median $135,980

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.

Software developer salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$158,290
$60,000$320,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$158,290
Net 69%
Fed 17%
CA 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$108,981After all taxes
Monthly deposit$9,082Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$4,192Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate31.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$26,724 / yr
California state income tax$10,476 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$12,109 / yr

Software developers 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 software developers earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$47.92/hr$8,306$99,670$73,924
25th percentile$61.29/hr$10,624$127,490$90,794
MedianMedian$76.10/hr$13,191$158,290$108,981
75th percentile$83.49/hr$14,472$173,660$118,057
90th percentile$103.73/hr$17,979$215,750$144,707

Is $158,290 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for software developers 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 household161.3%of area median income

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

Software developer pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for software developers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $158,290 in May 2025, about $13,191 a month or $76.10 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $174,410, so the metro pays 9% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for software developers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $76.10 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $47.92 an hour and one in ten earned more than $103.73.

How many software developers work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS estimated 1,680 jobs for software developers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 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 software developers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for software developers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $99,670 at the 10th percentile to $127,490 at the 25th, $173,660 at the 75th, and $215,750 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $158,290, an estimated $108,981 lands in net take-home pay per year ($4,192 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $49,309 (an effective rate of 31.2%).

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

On the median annual salary of $158,290, gross monthly income is $13,191. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $9,082 per month (or $4,192 every two weeks).

Is $158,290 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $158,290, the median salary for software developers is 161.3% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 206% 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.