San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a software developer make in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, software developers earned a median of $163,270 a year ($78.49 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 20,610 of these jobs there. That is 178% above the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $95,420 and $223,260; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $111,922 in take-home pay.

Software developer pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance

Median salary

$163,270$78.49 per hour · $13,606 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$95,420$45.87/hr
25th percentile$128,590$61.82/hr
75th percentile$193,980$93.26/hr
90th percentile$223,260$107.34/hr
Jobs in this metro20,610Location quotient 1.23 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here178% aboveAll-jobs median $58,690
Against California6% belowStatewide median $174,410
Against the U.S.20% aboveNational median $135,980

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Software developer salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes

$163,270
$65,000$330,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$163,270
Net 69%
Fed 17%
CA 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$111,922After all taxes
Monthly deposit$9,327Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$4,305Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate31.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$27,919 / yr
California state income tax$10,939 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$12,490 / yr

Software developers pay range in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What software developers earned in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$45.87/hr$7,952$95,420$71,329
25th percentile$61.82/hr$10,716$128,590$91,443
MedianMedian$78.49/hr$13,606$163,270$111,922
75th percentile$93.26/hr$16,165$193,980$130,644
90th percentile$107.34/hr$18,605$223,260$149,109

Is $163,270 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for software developers next to both.

Median household income$106,268Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.911.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household153.6%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Software developer pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for software developers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for software developers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $163,270 in May 2025, about $13,606 a month or $78.49 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $174,410, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for software developers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median hourly wage for software developers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $78.49 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $45.87 an hour and one in ten earned more than $107.34.

How many software developers work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS estimated 20,610 jobs for software developers in the metro in May 2025, or 13.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.23 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for software developers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS wage estimates for software developers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $95,420 at the 10th percentile to $128,590 at the 25th, $193,980 at the 75th, and $223,260 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do software developers take home after taxes in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On a median gross salary of $163,270, an estimated $111,922 lands in net take-home pay per year ($4,305 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $51,348 (an effective rate of 31.4%).

How much do software developers make per month in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On the median annual salary of $163,270, gross monthly income is $13,606. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $9,327 per month (or $4,305 every two weeks).

Is $163,270 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

At $163,270, the median salary for software developers is 153.6% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 178% above the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.9, so prices here run 11.9% above the U.S. average.