Salary comparison
Registered Nurses: Salem vs Santa Maria
Santa Maria, CA pays about 4.3% more for registered nurses on paper — $137,360 vs $131,750. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Santa Maria comes out ahead by $5,610 a year in real buying power.
Salem, OR
$131,750
$109,870
$132,930
$63.34
100
$131,750/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Maria, CA
$137,360
$114,750
$162,910
$66.04
100
$137,360/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $5,610 a year (4.3%) in favor of Santa Maria. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Salem 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 $5,610 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Salem to Santa Maria for this role, the raise needs to beat 4.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do registered nurses earn more, Salem or Santa Maria?
Santa Maria pays $137,360 on median — about 4.3% more than Salem ($131,750). 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$137,360 of real buying power versus $131,750 in the other city.