Project manager pay in San Diego, CA
Project managers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a typical $117,460 a year. The middle half earn $86,370 to $139,940, and the top 10% earn more than $171,400. About 10,740 people do this job there.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (occupation: Project Management Specialists, SOC 13-1082).
Pay range
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $69,660 |
| 25th percentile | $86,370 |
| Median (typical) | $117,460 |
| 75th percentile | $139,940 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $171,400 |
Typical pay here ranks No. 7 of 50 large metros for project managers before taxes and prices.
After taxes and cost of living
At the typical $117,460, a single filer keeps about $84,800 a year after federal, Social Security, Medicare, and California state income tax. Prices in San Diego are 12% above the US average, so that take-home buys what $75,800 would in a typical US city. That ranks San Diego No. 34 of 50 large metros for project managers after cost of living.
Where project managers’ pay goes furthest
- Seattle, WA$130,380 typical · worth $90.4k
- San Jose, CA$135,120 typical · worth $86.3k
- Sacramento, CA$124,350 typical · worth $83.3k
- Washington, DC$127,030 typical · worth $82.9k
All 50 metros for project managers →
Where does your salary land?
Add your salary and experience to see your percentile among project managers in San Diego. Free and private. (Different city? Use the main checker.) 2 employers here filed pay above the typical rate in government filings; your check shows how many pay more than you.
Common questions
How much does a project manager make in San Diego, CA?
The typical (median) project manager in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earns $117,460 a year. The middle half earn between $86,370 and $139,940, and the top 10% earn more than $171,400. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
What is a good salary for a project manager in San Diego?
Anything above $117,460 pays more than half of project managers in San Diego. $139,940 or more puts you in the top quarter, and $171,400 in the top 10%. Experience and employer move where you should be in that range.
How much does a project manager in San Diego take home after taxes?
At the typical $117,460, a single filer keeps about $84,800 a year ($7,060 a month) after federal, Social Security, Medicare, California state income tax. With local prices 12% above the US average, that buys what $75,800 would in a typical US city.
Where do project managers get paid the most after cost of living?
Among the 50 largest US metros, typical project manager pay goes furthest after taxes and prices in Seattle, WA, San Jose, CA, Sacramento, CA. San Diego, CA ranks No. 34.
More: Project manager pay in every large metro · Pay for other jobs in San Diego, CA
Local prices: BEA regional price parities, 2024. Updated November 2026.