High paying teaching and library jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Every teaching and library 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 teaching and library 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 teaching jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

OccupationMedian, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · Employed

1Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$173,640
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,400 – $315,55070
2Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$131,980
Doctoral or professional degree
$81,650 – $243,220100
3Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary$128,440
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,730 – $223,63090
4Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$109,430
Doctoral or professional degree
$69,140 – $179,98090
5Special Education Teachers, All Other$107,390
Bachelor's degree
$73,150 – $142,130140
6Physics Teachers, Postsecondary$105,810
Doctoral or professional degree
$67,040 – $177,96080
7Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$103,780
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,490 – $138,950110
8Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$102,840
Bachelor's degree
$67,770 – $127,3201,060
9Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$102,450
Bachelor's degree
$64,800 – $123,550290
10Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$101,030
Bachelor's degree
$62,530 – $124,7702,170
11Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$100,710
Doctoral or professional degree
$52,700 – $175,490110
12English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$99,850
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,850 – $141,290100
13Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$98,940
Bachelor's degree
$69,850 – $120,530300
14Instructional Coordinators$95,790
Master's degree
$58,240 – $141,330410
15Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$94,380
Master's degree
$59,710 – $135,680130
16Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$80,100
Bachelor's degree
$60,840 – $124,940220
17Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$79,640
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,760 – $127,260100
18Teachers and Instructors, All Other$78,820
Bachelor's degree
$45,990 – $124,010380
19Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,000
Master's degree
$50,520 – $133,460140
20Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$77,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$41,560 – $106,790130
21Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$76,250
Bachelor's degree
$46,570 – $122,650160
22Postsecondary Teachers, All Other$71,200
Doctoral or professional degree
$34,320 – $133,9701,100
23Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$62,310
Bachelor's degree
$42,360 – $72,770610
24Library Technicians$56,160
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,100 – $70,550140
25Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$50,310
Bachelor's degree
$34,320 – $81,090640
26Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$48,930
Bachelor's degree
$35,590 – $103,760680
27Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$48,130
Associate's degree
$38,430 – $64,040630
28Self-Enrichment Teachers$47,300
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,910 – $95,550890
29Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$46,540
Some college, no degree
$38,060 – $57,3902,360
30Tutors$39,130
Some college, no degree
$36,560 – $88,290410

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	Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$173,640	$71,400 – $315,550	70
2	Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$131,980	$81,650 – $243,220	100
3	Engineering Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$128,440	$65,730 – $223,630	90
4	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$109,430	$69,140 – $179,980	90
5	Special Education Teachers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$107,390	$73,150 – $142,130	140
6	Physics Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$105,810	$67,040 – $177,960	80
7	Psychology Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$103,780	$63,490 – $138,950	110
8	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$102,840	$67,770 – $127,320	1,060
9	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$102,450	$64,800 – $123,550	290
10	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$101,030	$62,530 – $124,770	2,170
11	Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$100,710	$52,700 – $175,490	110
12	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$99,850	$49,850 – $141,290	100
13	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$98,940	$69,850 – $120,530	300
14	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$95,790	$58,240 – $141,330	410
15	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$94,380	$59,710 – $135,680	130
16	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$80,100	$60,840 – $124,940	220
17	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$79,640	$47,760 – $127,260	100
18	Teachers and Instructors, All OtherBachelor's degree	$78,820	$45,990 – $124,010	380
19	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$78,000	$50,520 – $133,460	140
20	Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,160	$41,560 – $106,790	130
21	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$76,250	$46,570 – $122,650	160
22	Postsecondary Teachers, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$71,200	$34,320 – $133,970	1,100
23	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$62,310	$42,360 – $72,770	610
24	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$56,160	$39,100 – $70,550	140
25	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$50,310	$34,320 – $81,090	640
26	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$48,930	$35,590 – $103,760	680
27	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$48,130	$38,430 – $64,040	630
28	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,300	$36,910 – $95,550	890
29	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$46,540	$38,060 – $57,390	2,360
30	TutorsSome college, no degree	$39,130	$36,560 – $88,290	410

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 teaching and library jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

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