San Diego: what paychecks leave after rent
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area: 1,538,060 jobs, median pay of $58,690 across all occupations, and a $2,335 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in San Diego, earning the all-occupations median of $58,690, takes home about $4,111 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 57% of that. The median wage is 0.63× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (23% of take-home on a 1BR). Retail Salespersons are the most squeezed (86%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $2,246 (±$11), and median household income was $106,268 (±$949).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in San Diego
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $163,270 | $10,238 | 29.7 h | 23% | $7,903 | 1.75× |
| Registered Nurse | $139,520 | $8,886 | 34.8 h | 26% | $6,551 | 1.49× |
| Police Officer | $110,400 | $7,208 | 44.0 h | 32% | $4,873 | 1.18× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $97,000 | $6,422 | — h | 36% | $4,087 | 1.04× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $96,340 | $6,384 | 50.4 h | 37% | $4,049 | 1.03× |
| Electrician | $76,160 | $5,201 | 63.8 h | 45% | $2,866 | 0.81× |
| Truck Driver | $59,780 | $4,184 | 81.2 h | 56% | $1,849 | 0.64× |
| Medical Assistant | $49,420 | $3,491 | 98.3 h | 67% | $1,156 | 0.53× |
| Fast Food Worker | $42,190 | $3,007 | 115.1 h | 78% | $672 | 0.45× |
| Retail Salesperson | $37,810 | $2,713 | 128.4 h | 86% | $378 | 0.41× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA | 3,288,774 | $2,335 | $2,823 |
HUD treats the whole metro as one rent area.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.