Civil Engineers Salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Civil Engineers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is $119,980. BLS estimates approximately 610 people work in this occupation in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA is 19.0% above the national median ($100,840).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,580 | $37.78 |
| 25th percentile | $94,400 | $45.39 |
| Median (50th) | $119,980 | $57.68 |
| 75th percentile | $151,330 | $72.76 |
| 90th percentile | $171,050 | $82.23 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 1.6% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 7.7% — Reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.025
- Location quotient
- 1.28
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA’s regional price level is above the national average (index 108.798, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $110,278 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.