Highest-paying jobs in Santa Maria
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in Santa Maria. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $108,740
- Median hourly wage: $52.28
- Total employment: 160 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Personal financial advisors
- Median annual wage: $108,960
- Median hourly wage: $52.39
- Total employment: 320 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $109,560
- Median hourly wage: $52.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $109,910
- Median hourly wage: $52.84
- Total employment: 3,940 people (19.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Industrial production managers
- Median annual wage: $111,540
- Median hourly wage: $53.63
- Total employment: 240 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $112,050
- Median hourly wage: $53.87
- Total employment: 190 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $112,630
- Median hourly wage: $54.15
- Total employment: 470 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $113,430
- Median hourly wage: $54.53
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $115,610
- Median hourly wage: $55.58
- Total employment: 160 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Art directors
- Median annual wage: $115,940
- Median hourly wage: $55.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. School psychologists
- Median annual wage: $115,960
- Median hourly wage: $55.75
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $117,580
- Median hourly wage: $56.53
- Total employment: 270 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Physical scientists, all other
- Median annual wage: $118,620
- Median hourly wage: $57.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $119,820
- Median hourly wage: $57.61
- Total employment: 550 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Fundraising managers
- Median annual wage: $122,440
- Median hourly wage: $58.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $123,200
- Median hourly wage: $59.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Optometrists
- Median annual wage: $125,370
- Median hourly wage: $60.27
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $126,090
- Median hourly wage: $60.62
- Total employment: 510 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Sales engineers
- Median annual wage: $126,660
- Median hourly wage: $60.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Education administrators, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $127,260
- Median hourly wage: $61.18
- Total employment: 370 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $128,450
- Median hourly wage: $61.76
- Total employment: 460 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $129,270
- Median hourly wage: $62.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $129,460
- Median hourly wage: $62.24
- Total employment: 460 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $129,510
- Median hourly wage: $62.27
- Total employment: 240 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $129,550
- Median hourly wage: $62.28
- Total employment: 80 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $133,260
- Median hourly wage: $64.07
- Total employment: 170 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $133,330
- Median hourly wage: $64.10
- Total employment: 220 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $133,690
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 320 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $133,800
- Median hourly wage: $64.33
- Total employment: 330 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $134,490
- Median hourly wage: $64.66
- Total employment: 2,270 people (11.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $134,670
- Median hourly wage: $64.75
- Total employment: 240 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $136,290
- Median hourly wage: $65.53
- Total employment: 210 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $136,630
- Median hourly wage: $65.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $137,610
- Median hourly wage: $66.16
- Total employment: 80 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $139,230
- Median hourly wage: $66.94
- Total employment: 550 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Physicists
- Median annual wage: $139,650
- Median hourly wage: $67.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $140,070
- Median hourly wage: $67.34
- Total employment: 860 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $140,960
- Median hourly wage: $67.77
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $153,100
- Median hourly wage: $73.61
- Total employment: 330 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $157,560
- Median hourly wage: $75.75
- Total employment: 930 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $157,770
- Median hourly wage: $75.85
- Total employment: 140 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $165,050
- Median hourly wage: $79.35
- Total employment: 430 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $168,710
- Median hourly wage: $81.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $169,270
- Median hourly wage: $81.38
- Total employment: 410 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $174,420
- Median hourly wage: $83.86
- Total employment: 780 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $204,990
- Median hourly wage: $98.56
- Total employment: 340 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Psychiatrists
- Median annual wage: $215,990
- Median hourly wage: $103.84
- Total employment: 90 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $216,670
- Median hourly wage: $104.17
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Computer and information research scientists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 270 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
