Salaries & Cost of Living in San Diego, California
Offers premier coastal living paired with a thriving biotechnology, defense, and software cluster. Discover salary benchmarks, wage percentiles, state income tax deductions, and housing costs across 20+ high-demand professions in San Diego.
San Diego Cost of Living by Expense Category
Normalized cost index (100 = U.S. National Average).
Key City Advantages & Living Factors
Climate: Semi-Arid Mediterranean (Sunny / Warm)Role Salaries in San Diego
Explore 10th to 90th percentile salary benchmarks and estimated monthly take-home pay in San Diego.
| Job Title | Category | Median Base Pay | Est. Net Take-Home | View Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Product Manager | Product | $222,000/yr | ~$13,265/mo | View |
| Senior Software Engineer | Engineering | $210,000/yr | ~$12,548/mo | View |
| Product Manager | Product | $170,400/yr | ~$10,181/mo | View |
| DevOps & Cloud Engineer | Engineering | $168,000/yr | ~$10,038/mo | View |
| Data Scientist | Data | $165,600/yr | ~$9,895/mo | View |
| Backend Engineer | Engineering | $162,000/yr | ~$9,680/mo | View |
| Software Engineer | Engineering | $158,400/yr | ~$9,464/mo | View |
| Frontend Engineer | Engineering | $148,800/yr | ~$8,891/mo | View |
| Product Designer | Design | $146,400/yr | ~$8,747/mo | View |
| Growth Marketer | Marketing | $138,000/yr | ~$8,246/mo | View |
| UX / UI Designer | Design | $134,400/yr | ~$8,030/mo | View |
| Marketing Manager | Marketing | $129,600/yr | ~$7,744/mo | View |
| Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $126,000/yr | ~$7,529/mo | View |
| QA & Test Automation Engineer | Engineering | $122,400/yr | ~$7,313/mo | View |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $115,200/yr | ~$6,883/mo | View |
| Technical Recruiter | Human Resources | $112,800/yr | ~$6,740/mo | View |
| Data Analyst | Data | $110,400/yr | ~$6,596/mo | View |
| Customer Success Manager | Customer Support | $106,800/yr | ~$6,381/mo | View |
| SEO Specialist | Marketing | $102,000/yr | ~$6,095/mo | View |
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Relocation Comparisons from San Diego
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San Diego vs. San Francisco
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San Diego vs. Tampa-St. Petersburg
Frequently Asked Questions: Living & Working in San Diego
What is considered a good salary in San Diego?
In San Diego, an annual salary between $90,000 and $140,000 is generally considered very comfortable for a single professional, easily covering median 1-bedroom rental costs ($2,450/mo) while allowing significant savings.
How do salaries in San Diego compare to the U.S. national average?
On average, compensation in San Diego is 20% above the U.S. national baseline across technology, product, and engineering roles.
What are state income taxes in San Diego (CA)?
The estimated statutory state and local income tax rate in San Diego is approximately 9.3%.
What is the average rent in San Diego?
The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in San Diego, California is currently around $2,450 per month.
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