Accountant salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays accountants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $91,610 a year1: 5.6% below the California statewide median of $97,050 and 9.5% above the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #36 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,510 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $60,740 | $91,610 | $154,470 | |
| California | $61,770 | $97,050 | $160,520 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $154,470, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earns $73,000–$119,850. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $46,850 wide, between the figure for California ($50,040) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,740 | $5,062 | $29.20 | $78,374 |
| 25th percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35.10 | $94,194 |
| Median | $91,610 | $7,634 | $44.04 | $118,206 |
| 75th percentile | $119,850 | $9,988 | $57.62 | $154,645 |
| 90th percentile | $154,470 | $12,872 | $74.26 | $199,316 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $28,240 over the median, the 25th only $18,610 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $36,439 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, and the California statewide median of $97,050 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
At the $91,610 median, a local hire costs about $118,206 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $26,596 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($106,250); executive assistants come next at $82,740.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +16.0% | 1,030 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,510 | |
| Executive Assistant | -9.7% | 460 | |
| Paralegal | -11.7% | 360 | |
| Recruiter | -12.3% | 870 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (+9.5%), between customer support specialists (+9.6%) and administrative assistants (+9.0%). The typical role here is at +8.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 9.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 10.5% across California and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $74,880 in the North Coast Region of California nonmetro area to $121,700 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $46,820 a year. Of the 10 areas in California with more accountants than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 4 pay less, the largest of them Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($83,920), Fresno, CA ($78,690) and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA ($90,340).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +3.4% | 1,740 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +3.0% | 70,640 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +0.5% | 13,170 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,510 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -1.4% | 2,530 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -3.8% | 860 | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -7.3% | 740 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #129 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Midland and Springfield pay just above Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and Lexington Park and Walla Walla just below. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MA | +0.4% | 1,720 | pay | |
| Midland, MI | +0.2% | 450 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 1,510 | ||
| Lexington Park, MD | -0.4% | 360 | pay | |
| Walla Walla, WA | -2.2% | 170 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | -4.5% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| Wilmington, NC | -14.9% | 1,520 | jobs | |
| Green Bay, WI | -15.2% | 1,490 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
About $118,206 a year at the median, or $9,851 a month: $91,610 in pay plus about $26,596 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $91,610 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,740, the 90th $154,470, and the middle half earned $73,000 to $119,850.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the rest of California for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $91,610 against $97,050 statewide. The next area up in California is Sacramento-Roseville at $92,110, the next down Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $90,340.
How many accountants work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
BLS counts about 1,510 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, with about 1,740.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes: $8,870 a year more at the median. The medians are $91,610 and $82,740.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.