High paying medical jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run 8.8% above the national average (2024), so a Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA salary is worth about 0.92× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

OccupationMedian, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$296,960
Doctoral or professional degree
$131,340 – $434,360280
2Family Medicine Physicians$287,230
Doctoral or professional degree
$136,400 – $486,820440
3Dentists, General$170,940
Doctoral or professional degree
$103,610 – $266,910140
4Nurse Practitioners$165,580
Master's degree
$130,450 – $220,680200
5Pharmacists$162,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$130,670 – $208,880290
6Veterinarians$158,840
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,390 – $260,480140
7Physician Assistants$158,360
Master's degree
$90,310 – $204,280210
8Registered Nurses$137,360
Bachelor's degree
$101,260 – $169,2403,280
9Dental Hygienists$135,990
Associate's degree
$106,210 – $151,030260
10Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$132,490
Associate's degree
$97,520 – $161,410100
11Physical Therapists$128,680
Doctoral or professional degree
$99,680 – $164,830310
12Speech-Language Pathologists$126,850
Master's degree
$95,950 – $171,300200
13Occupational Therapists$125,890
Master's degree
$95,870 – $152,450170
14Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$110,770
Associate's degree
$62,310 – $140,020250
15Respiratory Therapists$108,600
Associate's degree
$80,730 – $134,900130
16Dietitians and Nutritionists$102,060
Bachelor's degree
$78,940 – $126,490100
17General Internal Medicine Physicians$81,550
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,610 – $416,810150
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$79,010
Postsecondary nondegree award
$65,410 – $95,650650
19Surgical Technologists$78,510
Postsecondary nondegree award
$49,720 – $107,490170
20Psychiatric Technicians$63,510
Postsecondary nondegree award
$42,910 – $86,92070
21Medical Records Specialists$61,950
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,350 – $118,230210
22Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$59,560
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,870 – $123,640260
23Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$58,490
Associate's degree
$48,790 – $71,110160
24Pharmacy Technicians$56,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$43,250 – $73,090420
25Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$53,640
Bachelor's degree
$48,670 – $91,600240

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$296,960	$131,340 – $434,360	280
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$287,230	$136,400 – $486,820	440
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$170,940	$103,610 – $266,910	140
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$165,580	$130,450 – $220,680	200
5	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$162,520	$130,670 – $208,880	290
6	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$158,840	$64,390 – $260,480	140
7	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$158,360	$90,310 – $204,280	210
8	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$137,360	$101,260 – $169,240	3,280
9	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$135,990	$106,210 – $151,030	260
10	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$132,490	$97,520 – $161,410	100
11	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$128,680	$99,680 – $164,830	310
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$126,850	$95,950 – $171,300	200
13	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$125,890	$95,870 – $152,450	170
14	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$110,770	$62,310 – $140,020	250
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$108,600	$80,730 – $134,900	130
16	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$102,060	$78,940 – $126,490	100
17	General Internal Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$81,550	$71,610 – $416,810	150
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$79,010	$65,410 – $95,650	650
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$78,510	$49,720 – $107,490	170
20	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$63,510	$42,910 – $86,920	70
21	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,950	$46,350 – $118,230	210
22	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$59,560	$48,870 – $123,640	260
23	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$58,490	$48,790 – $71,110	160
24	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$56,580	$43,250 – $73,090	420
25	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$53,640	$48,670 – $91,600	240

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

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