Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Salary in Santa Maria, CA
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area earn a median $36,230 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,381 take-home, or $2,532 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary in Santa Maria, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,168
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,246
- Medicare (1.45%)$525
- California income tax$439
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$471
- Take-home pay$30,381
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse pay by experience in Santa Maria, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,320 | $16.50 | $28,948 | $2,412 |
| 25th percentile | $35,550 | $17.09 | $29,871 | $2,489 |
| Median (50th) | $36,230 | $17.42 | $30,381 | $2,532 |
| 75th percentile | $39,520 | $19.00 | $32,850 | $2,738 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $41,860 | $20.13 | $34,607 | $2,884 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,230 buys in Santa Maria, CA
Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 8.8% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse's $30,381 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,924 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Santa Maria, CA has 32.1× the national concentration of farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse, adjusted for cost of living
Santa Maria, CA ranks #16 of 21 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennewick, WA | $42,340 | $36,200 | $36,172 |
| 2 | Yakima, WA | $39,070 | $33,573 | $35,138 |
| 3 | Napa, CA | $44,370 | $36,490 | $32,420 |
| 4 | Yuma, AZ | $34,610 | $29,333 | $31,640 |
| 5 | El Centro, CA | $35,140 | $29,563 | $31,062 |
| 6 | Merced, CA | $36,350 | $30,471 | $31,006 |
| 7 | Modesto, CA | $37,850 | $31,597 | $30,350 |
| 8 | Hanford, CA | $35,890 | $30,126 | $29,648 |
| 16 | Santa Maria, CA | $36,230 | $30,381 | $27,924 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 21 metros →
About the job: farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -2.4% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse salaries elsewhere in California
- Napa, CA — $44,370
- El Centro, CA — $35,140
- Merced, CA — $36,350
- Modesto, CA — $37,850
- Hanford, CA — $35,890
- Visalia, CA — $34,800
- Bakersfield, CA — $34,620
- Sacramento, CA — $36,520
Frequently asked questions
How much does a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse make in Santa Maria, CA?
The median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area is $36,230 a year, or about $17.42 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,550 and $39,520.
What is a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse’s take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA?
On the median $36,230 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $30,381 a year ($2,532 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $910 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Santa Maria, CA a good place to work as a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $35,660. Local prices are 8.8% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,924 would in a typical U.S. city. Santa Maria, CA ranks #16 of 21 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse afford rent in Santa Maria, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Santa Maria, CA is $2,746 a month ($3,124 for two bedrooms) — 108% of a median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.