Question 1

What is the cost of living in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

Accepted Answer

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA's overall price level (BEA Regional Price Parity) is 111.89, where 100 equals the U.S. average. That means everyday goods, services, and housing cost about 11.9% more than the national average. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $3,001/month.

Question 2

What is the average salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

Accepted Answer

Across the 100 BLS-tracked occupation categories with published data in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, the average median wage is $164,518. The single highest-paying occupation here is Cardiologists at $493,670/year (BLS OEWS).

Question 3

What are the highest-paying jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

Accepted Answer

Based on BLS OEWS data, the top-paying occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA are: 1) Cardiologists at $493,670; 2) Psychiatrists at $335,620; 3) Physicians, Pathologists at $333,330; 4) Physicians, All Other at $323,050; 5) Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $321,950. Click any occupation above to see the full wage breakdown (10th to 90th percentile).

Question 4

How much does it cost to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a 2-bedroom unit in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $3,001/month. FMR is the rent level HUD uses to administer housing assistance and reflects the 40th percentile of standard-quality rentals, updated annually.

Question 5

Where does AffordMap's San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad data come from?

Accepted Answer

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (RPP). Rent comes from HUD Fair Market Rents. All three are federal datasets, updated annually, and free to use. AffordMap pairs them so you can see what a salary actually buys after local costs.

Rank	Occupation	Category	Median salary	Hourly
21	Financial Managers	Management	$174K	$83.76/hr
22	Power Distributors and Dispatchers	Production & Manufacturing	$173K	$83.23/hr
23	Radiation Therapists	Healthcare	$172K	$82.45/hr
24	Managers, All Other	Management	$169K	$81.36/hr
25	Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$168K	N/A
26	Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$167K	N/A
27	Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary	Education	$167K	N/A
28	Physician Assistants	Healthcare	$165K	$79.41/hr
29	Pharmacists	Healthcare	$165K	$79.39/hr
30	Nurse Practitioners	Healthcare	$164K	$78.78/hr

Top Paying Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Highest paying careers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Affordability snapshot: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad