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Arts & Media

Producers and Directors Salary

in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

The median pay for a producers and directors in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $99,520/year ($47.85/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $182K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $88,944 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 48% of take-home, which is tight.

$100K
Median annual
$47.85/hr
Hourly rate
$53K
Entry level (10th %)
$182K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $100K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

Estimated take-home pay$6,084/mo
Rent (2BR median)-$3,001/mo
Rent as % of take-home49.3% ⚠ above 30% guideline
Groceries-$439/mo
Utilities-$219/mo
Transportation-$385/mo
Healthcare *-$255/mo
Left over$1,785/mo

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.

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About producers and directors

Education: Bachelor's degree
U.S. employed: 143,120
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA employed: 990
Category: Arts & Media

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What this looks like in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Producers and directors pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $90K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 49.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.

Compared to nearby metros

Median pay for producers and directors in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.

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

Bar chart showing Producers and Directors salary percentiles in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 10th percentile $53,250, 25th percentile $70,710, median $99,520, 75th percentile $133,090, 90th percentile $181,840. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$53K25th$71KMedian$100K75th$133K90th$182K
Bar chart showing Producers and Directors salary percentiles in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 10th percentile $53,250, 25th percentile $70,710, median $99,520, 75th percentile $133,090, 90th percentile $181,840. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level producers and directors (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $182K or more, a $129K spread from bottom to top.

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Producers and Directors pay across states

Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure

View Producers and Directors salary in all states
StateMedian salaryvs. nationalEmployment
California$130K+44%34,110
New Jersey$120K+33%2,970
New York$108K+19%27,990
District of Columbia$104K+15%2,640
Connecticut$88K-2%2,200
Oregon$87K-3%1,640
Rhode Island$84K-7%560
Washington$82K-10%2,270
Illinois$81K-10%3,170
Massachusetts$81K-10%3,440
Georgia$80K-12%5,010
Florida$80K-12%7,160
Maryland$79K-12%1,610
Nevada$78K-13%1,630
Colorado$78K-14%1,960
Minnesota$76K-15%1,390
Utah$76K-16%1,670
Pennsylvania$75K-16%4,200
Tennessee$73K-19%2,920
Delaware$73K-20%150
Texas$72K-21%6,610
Maine$71K-21%400
Ohio$69K-23%1,610
Arizona$67K-25%1,720
Missouri$66K-26%1,630
Wisconsin$66K-27%1,600
Hawaii$66K-27%510
Virginia$66K-27%2,820
Michigan$66K-27%2,310
North Carolina$64K-30%3,500
Alabama$63K-30%1,040
Louisiana$63K-30%880
Oklahoma$62K-32%770
New Hampshire$62K-32%300
Idaho$61K-32%380
Kansas$61K-33%420
Wyoming$60K-33%130
South Dakota$60K-33%170
Indiana$60K-34%1,480
Iowa$59K-35%720
North Dakota$58K-36%170
South Carolina$56K-38%1,190
Vermont$56K-38%290
Kentucky$55K-40%950
Alaska$54K-40%160
Montana$53K-42%390
Nebraska$53K-42%470
Mississippi$48K-47%390
West Virginia$47K-48%230
Arkansas$39K-57%700
12345

Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data

BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small

Track producers and directors salary changes

BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a producers and director afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 49.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

What’s the entry-level salary for producers and directors in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new producers and directors typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,195/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 94% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is producers and director a high-paying job in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $90K nationally, a 10% difference.

How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for producers and directors?

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $90K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — below the national median.

How much do producers and directors make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median is $99,520 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,250, and experienced producers and directors can clear $181,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $100K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,084/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 49.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

How far does a producers and directors 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 producers and directors salary is worth about $88,944 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do producers and directors 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.

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