Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA make a median of $238,440 a year, or about $114.64 an hour. The range runs from $86K at the entry level to $493K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $213,102 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $3,001/month, or 21.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $238K actually covers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chief executives
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What this looks like in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $3,001/month, 23% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executives at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $234K | $206K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $289K | $250K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $170K | $159K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $177K | $166K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $86K. Mid-career wages sit at $238K. Top earners bring in $493K or more, a $408K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Yes — at the median salary of $238K, rent takes 23% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $86K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,371/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $238K here vs. $214K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 12% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for chief executives?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $238K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $213K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $238,440 a year, that works out to about $115 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $85,510, and experienced chief executives can clear $493,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $238K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $13,070/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 23% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives salary go in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chief executives salary is worth about $213,102 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.