SOC 11-2032 · Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro

Public Relations Managers Salary in Santa Maria, CA

The average salary for public relations managers in Santa Maria, California is $167,650 a year ($80.60 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $153,010: half of the 40 people in this job in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($164,760).

$167,650average per year

$80.60 / hourMedian $153,010Take-home ≈ $114,355

  • $103K10th
  • $119K25th
  • $153KMedian
  • $209K75th
  • $263K90th

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

40people in this job
+2%vs U.S. average
#5 of 15California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Relations Managers pay range in Santa Maria

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,850 a year or less, while the top 10% make $262,660 or more. The middle half of public relations managers in Santa Maria earn between $118,800 and $208,640.

  • $103K10th
  • $119K25th
  • $153KMedian
  • $209K75th
  • $263K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$167,650$13,971$80.60
Median$153,010$12,751$73.56
Entry level (25th percentile)$118,800$9,900$57.12
Experienced (75th percentile)$208,640$17,387$100.31

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

Public Relations Managers pay in Santa Maria vs. California and the U.S.

Public relations managers in Santa Maria earn 9% less than the California average ($185,180) and about the same as the U.S. average ($164,760). At the median the gap is +4% against the U.S. median of $146,910.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Maria$167,650$153,010$102,850$262,66040
California$185,180$167,980$97,800$300,8009,400
United States$164,760$146,910$82,410$284,99074,850

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

Public Relations Managers salary after taxes in Santa Maria

On the average salary of $167,650, a single filer in Santa Maria takes home about $114,355 a year, or $9,530 a month and $4,398 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% 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 public relations managers? 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 $167,650 buys what about $154,093 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Maria ($51,690). A typical home costs $1,005,339, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $167,650 is worth in another city

Public Relations Managers salary in other California cities

Santa Maria ranks 5th of 15 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($229,420).

All Public Relations Managers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for public relations managers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($229,420).

Public Relations Managers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Public Relations Managers in Santa Maria, CA.

Public Relations Managers salary in Santa Maria: questions

How much do public relations managers make an hour in Santa Maria?

$80.60 an hour on average, and $73.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public relations managers salary in Santa Maria?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,850 a year and the 25th percentile is $118,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public relations managers take-home pay in Santa Maria?

About $114,355 a year ($9,530 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $167,650. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do public relations managers earn more in Santa Maria than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($164,760).

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 11-2032; area Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA (42200). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.7%.
  • 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.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.41, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.41).

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