Jobs, pay and daily life in Santa Barbara, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Santa Barbara is a city in California with 87,779 residents. The median household earns $106,182 a year and the median rent is $2,413 a month, which is 27.3% of the median household income. It is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 200,760 jobs.
How Santa Barbara compares. Among the 145 places in California, Santa Barbara is #95 by population, #2 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #135 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #37 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Santa Barbara County, is #17 of 58 counties for average pay ($69,664).
Santa Barbara has 87,779 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of California. It covers 19 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 4,504 people per square mile. The median age is 39.7, 5% older than the state median (39.7 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $2,413 a month (rent plus utilities), 19% above the state median ($2,413 against $2,036). Over a year that is 27.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,570,800, which is 14.8 times the median household income ($106,182); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 39.9% of households own their home, 29% below the state average (39.9% against 55.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area has 200,760 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $51,690 a year, about the same as the national median ($51,690 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (22,860 jobs, median $39,220); office and administrative support (19,440 jobs, median $54,690); sales and related (15,980 jobs, median $43,350). The area is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (22.3 times) and building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($128,790) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($121,970). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Santa Barbara County was 4.5%. 64.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Santa Barbara County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 60.8% drive alone, 1.9% use public transit, 4.0% walk, 18.9% work from home. 5.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 70% below the state average (5.9% against 19.4%).
51.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% above the state share (51.9% against 37.1%). 19.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 26% below the state share (19.9% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 14.0%, 17% above the state rate (14.0% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 71°F (21.6°C), and the coolest is Feb at 53°F (11.9°C). About 404 mm (16 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jan is the wettest month (90 mm) and Aug the driest (1 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: San Buenaventura (Ventura) (28 miles, rent 9% lower); Oxnard (32 miles, rent 16% lower); Thousand Oaks (50 miles, rent 10% higher); Santa Maria (55 miles, rent 20% lower). Rent differences are against Santa Barbara; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,717) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideSanta Barbara CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,717 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 11,020 | 32.14 | $36,230 | $34,320 | $41,860 | +2% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6,470 | 1.16 | $34,320 | $34,320 | $44,080 | -4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,930 | 1.19 | $42,940 | $35,280 | $46,520 | +38% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,490 | 0.89 | $37,200 | $35,170 | $49,480 | +5% |
| Cashiers | 4,170 | 1.05 | $36,600 | $35,170 | $49,390 | +11% |
| Office Clerks, General | 3,630 | 1.14 | $55,620 | $38,320 | $79,510 | +24% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 3,540 | 1.21 | $35,260 | $34,320 | $64,060 | +0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,410 | 0.75 | $111,390 | $54,910 | $241,950 | +5% |
| Registered Nurses | 3,280 | 0.75 | $137,360 | $101,260 | $169,240 | +41% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,890 | 1.01 | $37,900 | $35,310 | $59,810 | +3% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 2,470 | 2.01 | $45,230 | $35,990 | $58,320 | +16% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 2,360 | 1.29 | $46,540 | $38,060 | $57,390 | +27% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,350 | 0.64 | $37,960 | $35,170 | $55,370 | +2% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 2,300 | 1.26 | $43,340 | $36,500 | $50,200 | +16% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,170 | 1.21 | $101,030 | $62,530 | $124,770 | +58% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,100 | 0.55 | $42,560 | $35,830 | $59,610 | +6% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,980 | 1.00 | $52,780 | $38,280 | $79,150 | +6% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,930 | 0.88 | $51,800 | $37,540 | $76,890 | +9% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,900 | 1.07 | $60,170 | $42,780 | $80,460 | +19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,810 | 1.14 | $47,320 | $40,660 | $75,130 | +7% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 700 | 0.81 | $207,760 | $130,950 | $282,620 | +19% |
| Lawyers | 700 | 0.71 | $170,970 | $73,920 | $289,030 | +7% |
| Managers, All Other | 900 | 1.13 | $167,090 | $81,300 | $261,630 | +18% |
| Financial Managers | 760 | 0.70 | $164,270 | $91,990 | $298,410 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 1,680 | 0.77 | $158,290 | $99,670 | $215,750 | +16% |
| Registered Nurses | 3,280 | 0.75 | $137,360 | $101,260 | $169,240 | +41% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 730 | 0.95 | $130,290 | $61,670 | $284,860 | +5% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 670 | 1.18 | $128,390 | $63,180 | $188,620 | +10% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 730 | 0.84 | $120,900 | $79,180 | $131,500 | +59% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 720 | 1.08 | $120,680 | $70,720 | $181,740 | +14% |
| Civil Engineers | 610 | 1.28 | $119,980 | $78,580 | $171,050 | +19% |
| General and Operations Managers | 3,410 | 0.75 | $111,390 | $54,910 | $241,950 | +5% |
| Sales Managers | 990 | 1.21 | $107,200 | $58,340 | $245,370 | -28% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,030 | 0.75 | $106,250 | $58,970 | $169,210 | +4% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,060 | 0.77 | $102,840 | $67,770 | $127,320 | +43% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,170 | 1.21 | $101,030 | $62,530 | $124,770 | +58% |
| Management Analysts | 710 | 0.61 | $99,990 | $63,600 | $177,060 | -2% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,510 | 0.80 | $91,610 | $60,740 | $154,470 | +9% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 530 | 0.67 | $91,050 | $55,720 | $138,260 | +14% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 1,530 | 1.09 | $89,340 | $46,520 | $180,540 | +8% |
These figures are for the whole Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $51,690 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 20.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.9% |
| Retail trade | 9.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.7% |
| Manufacturing | 5.3% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.3% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Santa Barbara lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara County | 443,701 | $41,425 million | $93,361 | 216,323 | 17,497 | $69,664 | +0.2% | 4.5% | 226,288 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 29,638 | 16.4% | $40,579 | 16.93 |
| Health care and social assistance | 28,097 | 15.5% | $69,623 | 0.91 |
| Accommodation and food services | 24,101 | 13.3% | $35,120 | 1.23 |
| Retail trade | 18,374 | 10.2% | $43,516 | 0.85 |
| Manufacturing | 12,476 | 6.9% | $97,824 | 0.70 |
| Professional and technical services | 12,190 | 6.7% | $141,459 | 0.81 |
| Construction | 10,344 | 5.7% | $73,380 | 0.91 |
| Administrative and waste services | 9,856 | 5.4% | $51,108 | 0.77 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6,710 | 3.7% | $50,219 | 1.03 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,596 | 2.5% | $90,081 | 0.54 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 4,149 | 2.3% | $36,533 | 1.14 |
| Information | 3,791 | 2.1% | $146,713 | 0.94 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,523 | 1.9% | $127,360 | 0.40 |
| Real estate and rental | 3,362 | 1.9% | $64,982 | 1.00 |
| Educational services | 3,171 | 1.8% | $54,798 | 0.71 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,125 | 1.7% | $61,676 | 0.34 |
| Management of companies | 2,440 | 1.3% | $219,531 | 0.67 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 579 | 0.3% | $104,677 | 0.71 |
| Utilities | 431 | 0.2% | $136,255 | 0.52 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 60.8% |
| Public transit | 1.9% |
| Walk | 4.0% |
| Work from home | 18.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,182 |
| Income per person | $65,452 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,413 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 27.3% |
| Median home value | $1,570,800 |
| Homeowners | 39.9% |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $51,690 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 39.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 51.9% |
| Born abroad | 19.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.2 | 54 | 90 |
| Feb | 11.9 | 53 | 78 |
| Mar | 12.8 | 55 | 63 |
| Apr | 13.7 | 57 | 27 |
| May | 16.1 | 61 | 11 |
| Jun | 19.1 | 66 | 3 |
| Jul | 21.5 | 71 | 2 |
| Aug | 21.6 | 71 | 1 |
| Sep | 21.0 | 70 | 3 |
| Oct | 18.3 | 65 | 22 |
| Nov | 15.0 | 59 | 32 |
| Dec | 12.0 | 54 | 72 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Buenaventura (Ventura) | CA | 28 mi | 109,857 | $103,069 | $2,198 |
| Oxnard | CA | 32 mi | 200,928 | $96,212 | $2,032 |
| Thousand Oaks | CA | 50 mi | 125,205 | $135,603 | $2,664 |
| Santa Maria | CA | 55 mi | 110,462 | $84,746 | $1,925 |
| Simi Valley | CA | 56 mi | 125,634 | $122,081 | $2,579 |
| Santa Clarita | CA | 69 mi | 230,221 | $123,062 | $2,544 |
| Santa Monica | CA | 75 mi | 91,169 | $114,885 | $2,402 |
| Bakersfield | CA | 76 mi | 411,986 | $80,540 | $1,472 |
| Los Angeles | CA | 79 mi | 3,857,263 | $81,939 | $1,933 |
| Burbank | CA | 81 mi | 104,546 | $97,082 | $2,192 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
87,779 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,413 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 27.3% of the median household income.
$106,182 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.5% (BLS county, Santa Barbara County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.