Salary comparison
Physical Therapists: Las Cruces vs Santa Maria
Santa Maria, CA pays about 6.9% more for physical therapists on paper — $128,680 vs $120,350. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Santa Maria comes out ahead by $8,330 a year in real buying power.
Las Cruces, NM
$120,350
$96,240
$132,870
$57.86
100
$120,350/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Maria, CA
$128,680
$105,790
$147,210
$61.87
100
$128,680/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,330 a year (6.9%) in favor of Santa Maria. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Las Cruces runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Maria sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Santa Maria is the better deal by $8,330 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Las Cruces to Santa Maria for this role, the raise needs to beat 6.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do physical therapists earn more, Las Cruces or Santa Maria?
Santa Maria pays $128,680 on median — about 6.9% more than Las Cruces ($120,350). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Santa Maria. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Santa Maria gives you roughly$128,680 of real buying power versus $120,350 in the other city.