How Much Does an MLT Make in Santa Maria, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for MLTs in Santa Maria, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Santa Maria · Santa Barbara metro area
A typical MLT in Santa Maria, California earns $25.79 per hour, or $53,640 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,470 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $48,670, and the top 10% of earners make over $91,600.
That pay is 29% below the California figure of $76,010 and 15% below the national figure of $62,930. Santa Maria ranks 21st of 22 metro areas in California for MLT pay. About 240 MLTs work in the Santa Maria · Santa Barbara area. Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria · Santa Barbara metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Santa Barbara share these figures.
MLT pay in Santa Maria at a glance
- Typical pay is $25.79 an hour, or $53,640 a year.
- That is 29% below the California figure, ranking 21st of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $48,670; the top 10% make over $91,600.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MLT make in Santa Maria?
Pay in Santa Maria runs from entry-level positions at around $23.40 an hour to more than $44.04 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
MLT pay by career stage in Santa Maria
| Career stage | Santa Maria | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $48,670$23.40 an hour | $47,580$22.88 an hour | $38,910$18.71 an hour |
| First years | $50,610$24.33 an hour | $56,700$27.26 an hour | $47,650$22.91 an hour |
| Typical MLT | $53,640$25.79 an hour | $76,010$36.54 an hour | $62,930$30.26 an hour |
| Experienced | $68,450$32.91 an hour | $89,480$43.02 an hour | $81,450$39.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $91,600$44.04 an hour | $126,870$60.99 an hour | $100,990$48.55 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Santa Maria · Santa Barbara area as BLS defines it
MLT pay growth in Santa Maria
Typical (median) annual wage for MLTs in the Santa Maria · Santa Barbara area · BLS OES May estimates, 2017 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2017, typical MLT pay in Santa Maria was $46,100 a year. By 2025 it had reached $53,640.
How Santa Maria compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays MLTs the most in California at $86,250 a year, $32,610 more than Santa Maria. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $51,500.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Maria | MLTs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $86,250 | $41.46 | +61% | 220 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $84,870 | $40.80 | +58% | 1,870 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $84,200 | $40.48 | +57% | 340 |
| 4 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $84,130 | $40.45 | +57% | 5,210 |
| 5 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $83,150 | $39.98 | +55% | 2,020 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $83,100 | $39.95 | +55% | 80 |
| 7 | Redding | $81,220 | $39.05 | +51% | 80 |
| 8 | Napa | $80,070 | $38.50 | +49% | 50 |
| 9 | Oxnard metro incl. Ventura · Thousand Oaks | $76,920 | $36.98 | +43% | 270 |
| 10 | Modesto | $76,110 | $36.59 | +42% | 360 |
| 11 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $74,840 | $35.98 | +40% | 370 |
| 12 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $67,430 | $32.42 | +26% | 10,150 |
| 13 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $63,770 | $30.66 | +19% | 2,740 |
| 14 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $63,210 | $30.39 | +18% | 360 |
| 15 | Salinas | $62,770 | $30.18 | +17% | 110 |
| 16 | Fresno | $62,160 | $29.88 | +16% | 600 |
| 17 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $62,040 | $29.83 | +16% | 70 |
| 18 | Riverside metro incl. Ontario · San Bernardino | $61,910 | $29.77 | +15% | 1,530 |
| 19 | Chico | $59,520 | $28.62 | +11% | 170 |
| 20 | El Centro | $58,240 | $28.00 | +9% | 50 |
| 21 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $53,640 | $25.79 | this city | 240 |
| 22 | Visalia | $51,500 | $24.76 | -4% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with MLT wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $76,010
Is Santa Maria a good place to work as an MLT?
MLTs in Santa Maria earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $53,640 a year, 15% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Santa Maria · Santa Barbara area, about 1.2 are MLT positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.2. That makes MLTs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MLT make in Santa Maria, CA?
- A typical MLT in Santa Maria earns $53,640 a year, or $25.79 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $48,670 and the top 10% earn over $91,600.
- How much does an MLT make an hour in Santa Maria?
- Typical hourly pay for MLTs in Santa Maria is $25.79. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $23.40, and the top 10% earn over $44.04 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MLT in Santa Maria?
- Entry-level MLT positions in Santa Maria typically offer around $23.40 an hour, or $48,670 a year.
- Is MLT pay in Santa Maria higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Maria pay is 29% below the California figure of $76,010 a year, ranking 21st of 22 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $86,250.