Software Engineer salary in Santa Maria, CA
Based on 71 certified H-1B filings in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, La Jolla, Ste. 100.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $108,451 |
| 25th | $129,530 |
| 50th (median) | $156,229 |
| 75th | $184,803 |
| 90th | $200,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $110,000 | $96,637 | $130,000 | 105 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $105,000 | $140,000 | 91 |
| FY2022 | $129,000 | $120,000 | $148,714 | 71 |
| FY2023 | $129,000 | $110,322 | $147,701 | 58 |
| FY2024 | $130,200 | $127,816 | $162,502 | 43 |
| FY2025 | $156,229 | $129,659 | $180,000 | 37 |
| FY2026 | $156,338 | $127,160 | $187,357 | 34 |
Cost of living
Santa Maria's median Software Engineer salary of $156,229 is worth about $143,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Santa Maria = 108.8).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the Santa Maria, CA area earned a median of $158,290 in May 2025 (1,680 employed). The H-1B median here is $156,229, 1% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| too few | 7 | |
| Amazon | too few | 6 |
| AppFolio | too few | 5 |
| Deckers Outdoor | too few | 3 |
| HG Insights | too few | 3 |
| Mayachitra | too few | 3 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 3 |
| Yardi Systems | too few | 3 |
| Bright Market | too few | 2 |
| Crossno & Kaye | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $120,000 | 16 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $150,218 | 21 |
| Senior · Level III | $160,659 | 11 |
| Expert · Level IV | $198,000 | 14 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $106,621 | $120,000 | 16 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $132,350 | $150,218 | 21 |
| Senior · Level III | $156,229 | $160,659 | 11 |
| Expert · Level IV | $180,128 | $198,000 | 14 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.