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

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

In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, truck drivers earned a median of $55,910 a year ($26.88 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,550 of these jobs there. That is 8% above the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,770 and $77,270; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $45,710 in take-home pay.

Truck driver pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance

Median salary

$55,910$26.88 per hour · $4,659 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,770$18.16/hr
25th percentile$45,510$21.88/hr
75th percentile$64,470$30.99/hr
90th percentile$77,270$37.15/hr
Jobs in this metro1,550Location quotient 0.58 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here8% aboveAll-jobs median $51,690
Against California7% belowStatewide median $60,230
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $58,640

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.

Truck driver salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes

$55,910
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$55,910
Net 82%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$45,710After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,809Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,758Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,529 / yr
California state income tax$1,394 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,277 / yr

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 truck drivers earned in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$18.16/hr$3,148$37,770$32,035
25th percentile$21.88/hr$3,793$45,510$37,944
MedianMedian$26.88/hr$4,659$55,910$45,710
75th percentile$30.99/hr$5,373$64,470$52,049
90th percentile$37.15/hr$6,439$77,270$60,233

Is $55,910 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for 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 household57%of area median income

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

Truck driver pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for truck drivers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $55,910 in May 2025, about $4,659 a month or $26.88 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $60,230, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $26.88 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.16 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.15.

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

BLS estimated 1,550 jobs for truck drivers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.58 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for truck drivers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $37,770 at the 10th percentile to $45,510 at the 25th, $64,470 at the 75th, and $77,270 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $55,910, an estimated $45,710 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,758 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $10,200 (an effective rate of 18.2%).

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

On the median annual salary of $55,910, gross monthly income is $4,659. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,809 per month (or $1,758 every two weeks).

Is $55,910 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

At $55,910, the median salary for truck drivers is 57% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 8% 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.