SOC 29-2042 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro

Emergency Medical Technicians Salary in Santa Maria, CA

The average salary for emergency medical technicians in Santa Maria, California is $43,690 a year ($21.00 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,310: half of the people in this job in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,830).

$43,690average per year

$21.00 / hourMedian $39,310Take-home ≈ $36,402

  • $39K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $53K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

n/apeople in this job
-7%vs U.S. average
#20 of 21California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Emergency Medical Technicians pay range in Santa Maria

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,310 a year or less, while the top 10% make $53,170 or more. The middle half of emergency medical technicians in Santa Maria earn between $39,310 and $50,150.

  • $39K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $50K75th
  • $53K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,690$3,641$21.00
Median$39,310$3,276$18.90
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,310$3,276$18.90
Experienced (75th percentile)$50,150$4,179$24.11

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Emergency Medical Technicians pay in Santa Maria vs. California and the U.S.

Emergency medical technicians in Santa Maria earn 17% less than the California average ($52,900) and 7% less than the U.S. average ($46,830). At the median the gap is -12% against the U.S. median of $44,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Maria$43,690$39,310$39,310$53,170n/a
California$52,900$46,380$38,740$78,15021,880
United States$46,830$44,470$34,130$62,500180,510

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary after taxes in Santa Maria

On the average salary of $43,690, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $36,402 a year, or $3,033 a month and $1,400 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Santa Maria a good place for emergency medical technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Santa Maria area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.8), so the average $43,690 buys what about $40,157 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 23.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,690 is worth in another city

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in other California cities

Santa Maria ranks 20th of 21 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($72,700).

All Emergency Medical Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for emergency medical technicians

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($72,700).

Emergency Medical Technicians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Emergency Medical Technicians in Santa Maria, CA.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in Santa Maria: questions

How much do emergency medical technicians make an hour in Santa Maria?

$21.00 an hour on average, and $18.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level emergency medical technicians salary in Santa Maria?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,310 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,310, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the emergency medical technicians take-home pay in Santa Maria?

About $36,402 a year ($3,033 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,690. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do emergency medical technicians earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,830).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-2042; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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