SOC 27-3042 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Technical Writers — Santa Maria
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Santa Maria, CA comes to $104,450 a year, ahead of the national median of $90,390 by 15.6%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +0.9%
- Openings per year
- 4,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Santa Maria, CA comes to $104,450 a year, ahead of the national median of $90,390 by 15.6%. Pay ranges from under $71,160 at the tenth percentile to more than $149,090 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $84,280 to $135,670.
Employment stands at 60, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, San Jose records the highest median at $140,700. Of the 433 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 94th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $71,160 | −21.3% |
| 25th | $84,280 | −6.8% |
| Median (50th) | $104,450 | +15.6% |
| 75th | $135,670 | +50.1% |
| 90th | $149,090 | +64.9% |
| Mean | $111,700 | +23.6% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $140,700 | 920 | |
| 2 | San Francisco | $135,470 | 1,020 | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa | $129,590 | 40 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | $104,000 | 1,460 | |
| 5 | San Diego | $101,750 | 520 | |
| 6 | Oxnard | $98,800 | 70 | |
| 7 | Sacramento | $94,400 | 190 | |
| 8 | Riverside | $85,500 | 140 | |
| 9 | Bakersfield | $76,170 | 40 | |
| 10 | Fresno | $76,030 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Santa Maria run 8.8% above the national average, so the median of $104,450 buys what $96,002 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 6.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$104,450as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$96,002US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $104,450 a year, 15.6% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $71,160 to $149,090 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 60 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $140,700.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Technical Writers in Santa Maria, CA?
The median annual wage is $104,450, or $50.21 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $90,390, so pay in Santa Maria, CA is 15.6% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Santa Maria, CA earns more than $149,090 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $71,160 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Jose, at $140,700 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 60 jobs in this occupation in Santa Maria, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data