Salary comparison
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education: Atlantic City vs Santa Maria
Atlantic City, NJ pays about 23.2% more for preschool teachers, except special education on paper — $59,320 vs $48,130. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Atlantic City comes out ahead by $11,190 a year in real buying power.
Atlantic City, NJ
$59,320
$38,390
$68,170
$28.52
100
$59,320/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Maria, CA
$48,130
$40,540
$58,040
$23.14
100
$48,130/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $11,190 a year (23.2%) in favor of Atlantic City. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Atlantic City runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Maria sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Atlantic City is the better deal by $11,190 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Maria to Atlantic City for this role, the raise needs to beat 23.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do preschool teachers, except special education earn more, Atlantic City or Santa Maria?
Atlantic City pays $59,320 on median — about 23.2% more than Santa Maria ($48,130). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Atlantic City. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Atlantic City gives you roughly$59,320 of real buying power versus $48,130 in the other city.