Cost of hiring in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Administrative Assistant is the largest of these 17 jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, with about 1,930 people1. Medians run from $39,520 a year for data entry specialists to $106,250 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +28.7% | 360 | |
| Bookkeeper | +18.7% | 1,900 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +16.5% | 1,020 | |
| Office Manager | +9.9% | 1,440 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +9.6% | 1,350 | |
| Accountant | +9.5% | 1,510 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +9.0% | 1,930 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +8.3% | 1,040 | |
| Executive Assistant | +8.0% | 460 | |
| Recruiter | +5.8% | 870 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +4.9% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +4.0% | 1,470 | |
| Project Coordinator | +3.8% | 1,030 | |
| HR Assistant | +2.3% | 110 | |
| Marketing Specialist | +1.2% | 960 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -0.5% | 240 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -4.4% | 130 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $51,800 median for administrative assistants, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $66,839 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against the US
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays above the US median for 15 of the 17 roles, most of all for paralegals (+28.7%) and bookkeepers (+18.7%), and below it only for data entry specialists (-4.4%). For payroll specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is +8.0%: for most of these roles, hiring costs more here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for paralegals, #5 of 506 areas by median pay; its lowest is for data entry specialists, #180 of 394.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has more payroll specialists (1.5% of these jobs here, against 1.0% nationally) and bookkeepers (11.9% against 8.7%), and fewer customer support specialists (8.5% against 16.4%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Kahului-Wailuku, HI is nearest, at +7.3%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +9.8% | 15 | 4,390 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +8.0% (this area) | 17 | 15,920 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +7.3% | 15 | 6,080 |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +7.1% | 17 | 63,230 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +7.1% | 16 | 11,040 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | +7.1% | 17 | 25,810 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara span $43,490–$159,750, the widest band (3.7×); data entry specialists the narrowest, $36,560–$53,840. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 10 of 17 roles, paralegals most ($44,740–$101,500 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, recruiters, marketing specialists and 1 more role: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($87,020 against a $72,800 median for sales development representatives).
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against California
Against California as a whole, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays more for 3 of 17 roles, led by paralegals (+4.6%) and e-commerce order specialists (+2.4%), and less for 12, most of all data entry specialists (-15.9%). It has the lowest median in California for data entry specialists.
Other areas in California
By jobs in these roles, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #12 of 28 areas in California. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Fresno to San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | 35,190 | 17 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | 27,360 | 17 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 21,340 | 17 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 18,600 | 17 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 17,520 | 17 |
| Modesto, CA | 14,480 | 17 |
| Salinas, CA | 11,130 | 17 |
| Vallejo, CA | 10,190 | 17 |
| Visalia, CA | 10,080 | 17 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 9,830 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $106,250 a year, about $137,097 with benefits; the lowest is Data Entry Specialist, $39,520.
Is hiring in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the US median?
For one of the 17 roles, yes: data entry specialists (-4.4%). 15 pay more than the US median, led by paralegals (+28.7%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.