Civil engineer · Santa Maria, CA

Civil engineer in Santa Maria: $2,693/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Santa Maria at $119,980 a year. About 610 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.28). The 10th percentile is $78,580 and the 90th is $171,050. Pay ranks 12th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,323/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,693 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Fresno, about 163 miles away, at $3,558 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,693

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$119,980

$78,580 to $171,050

Rent (1 bd)

$2,323

$2,765 (2 bd)

Employment

610

Location quotient 1.28

Pay rank

12th of 368

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

4.3×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $119,980.

Taxes$2,867
Rent$2,323
Other living costs$2,115
Left over$2,693

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $119,980
Federal income tax: −$18,042
Social Security and Medicare: −$9,178
State income tax (CA): −$7,185
Take-home pay: $85,574
Effective tax rate: 28.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,323
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $544
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,438

Left over each month

$9,998 gross, minus $2,867 in tax and $4,438 in living costs.

$2,693

Rank every metro for a civil engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Fresno, $3,558/mo.

Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →

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Questions

What does a civil engineer make in Santa Maria?

$119,980 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 610 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Santa Maria?

$2,693 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,323, and pay covers 4.3× a year of it.

Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?

Fresno, about 163 miles away, leaves $3,558 a month, more than Santa Maria.