How much do Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?

Percentile spread

For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, the published 10th percentile is $71,170 and the 90th percentile is $337,260. The difference is $266,090, which is 182.8% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $117,230 to the 75th at $186,770, covers $69,540.

The mean annual wage is $167,360, which sits above the median of $145,530. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

Hourly wages are not published because BLS reports this occupation on an annual basis. Hourly and annual wages.

National and state comparison

The Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median is 71.2% higher than the national median of $85,020 for Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary. In 2024 national prices the local median is $133,762, which is 57.3% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 38.3% higher than the California median of $105,220.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is 108.798, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $145,530 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary at $133,762 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

2 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ranks 1st of 3 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is 110 miles away, with a median of $102,030 and employment of 310. That median is 29.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $89,842, against $133,762 here.
• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is 180 miles away, with a median of $129,270 and employment of 40. That median is 11.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $117,068, against $133,762 here.

Employment share

Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary accounts for 0.02% of wage-and-salary employment in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (40 of 200,760). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (11,300 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.74 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.