Salary comparison
Physical Therapists: Sacramento vs Santa Maria
Sacramento, CA pays about 2.1% more for physical therapists on paper — $131,430 vs $128,680. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Sacramento comes out ahead by $2,750 a year in real buying power.
Sacramento, CA
$131,430
$106,230
$143,580
$63.19
100
$131,430/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 $2,750 a year (2.1%) in favor of Sacramento. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Sacramento runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Maria sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Sacramento is the better deal by $2,750 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Maria to Sacramento for this role, the raise needs to beat 2.1% 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, Sacramento or Santa Maria?
Sacramento pays $131,430 on median — about 2.1% more than Santa Maria ($128,680). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Sacramento. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Sacramento gives you roughly$131,430 of real buying power versus $128,680 in the other city.