Marketing Specialist salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
The median marketing specialist in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earned $79,710 a year in May 20251. That is 1.2% above the US median of $78,760, even though it is 15.8% below the California statewide median of $94,700. Only 30 of 516 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 960 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-1161, 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 | $44,900 | $79,710 | $156,330 | |
| California | $48,440 | $94,700 | $181,600 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara earns $60,700–$107,630. The top tenth earns $156,330 or more, 3.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 3.6 times. The mean ($90,200) is 13% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $46,930 wide, against $69,340 across California and $49,960 nationally: employers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $44,900 | $3,742 | $21.59 | $57,935 |
| 25th percentile | $60,700 | $5,058 | $29.18 | $78,323 |
| Median | $79,710 | $6,642 | $38.32 | $102,852 |
| 75th percentile | $107,630 | $8,969 | $51.75 | $138,877 |
| 90th percentile | $156,330 | $13,028 | $75.16 | $201,716 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $27,920 a year in pay and about $36,026 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $19,010 in pay. 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 $78,760 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, and the California statewide median of $94,700 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $23,142 to the $79,710 median and brings it to $102,852 a year. 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 marketing specialists 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 #6 by median pay, between recruiters ($80,340) and office managers ($76,370). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,250.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +1.5% | 360 | |
| Recruiter | +0.8% | 870 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 960 | |
| Office Manager | -4.2% | 1,440 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -8.7% | 1,470 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara (+1.2%), between HR assistants (+2.3%) and payroll specialists (-0.5%). The typical role here is at +8.0%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 6.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 7.1% across California and 5.7% 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 $60,540 in El Centro to $141,960 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $81,420 a year. Of the 7 areas in California with more marketing specialists than Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 3 pay less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($69,840), Sacramento-Roseville, CA ($78,630) and Fresno, CA ($62,880).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +2.2% | 390 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +1.0% | 370 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +0.5% | 1,570 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 960 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -0.3% | n/a | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -1.0% | 440 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | -1.1% | 960 |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara is #107 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Olympia-Lacey and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Santa Maria-Santa Barbara and Philadelphia-Camden and Barnstable Town just below. All four are within $690 a year of the median in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.9% | 30,970 | pay | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | +0.3% | 620 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | this area | 960 | ||
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -0.4% | 17,600 | pay | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -0.7% | 440 | pay | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -4.3% | 970 | jobs | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | -20.2% | 960 | jobs | |
| Huntsville, AL | -25.7% | 960 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
About $102,852 a year at the median, or $8,571 a month: $79,710 in pay plus about $23,142 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $79,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $44,900, the 90th $156,330, and the middle half earned $60,700 to $107,630.
Is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara cheaper than the rest of California for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $79,710 against $94,700 statewide. The next area up in California is Oxnard-Thousand Oaks at $80,100, the next down San Diego-Chula Vista at $79,440.
How many marketing specialists work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
BLS counts about 960 in the May 2025 survey. 7 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Fresno, with about 1,350.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than an office manager in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Yes: $3,340 a year more at the median. The medians are $79,710 and $76,370.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.