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

How much does a truck driver make in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, truck drivers earned a median of $59,780 a year ($28.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,440 of these jobs there. That is 2% above the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $40,880 and $78,250; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $48,587 in take-home pay.

Truck driver pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance

Median salary

$59,780$28.74 per hour · $4,982 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$40,880$19.65/hr
25th percentile$48,370$23.26/hr
75th percentile$69,650$33.49/hr
90th percentile$78,250$37.62/hr
Jobs in this metro10,440Location quotient 0.51 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here2% aboveAll-jobs median $58,690
Against California1% belowStatewide median $60,230
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $58,640

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.

Truck driver salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes

$59,780
$20,000$120,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$59,780
Net 81%
Fed 8%
CA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$48,587After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,049Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,869Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,994 / yr
California state income tax$1,626 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,573 / yr

Truck drivers 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 truck drivers earned in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$19.65/hr$3,407$40,880$34,409
25th percentile$23.26/hr$4,031$48,370$40,104
MedianMedian$28.74/hr$4,982$59,780$48,587
75th percentile$33.49/hr$5,804$69,650$55,482
90th percentile$37.62/hr$6,521$78,250$60,844

Is $59,780 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 truck drivers 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 household56.3%of area median income

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

Truck driver pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for truck drivers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $59,780 in May 2025, about $4,982 a month or $28.74 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $60,230, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for truck drivers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $28.74 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $19.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $37.62.

How many truck drivers work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS estimated 10,440 jobs for truck drivers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.51 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for truck drivers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $40,880 at the 10th percentile to $48,370 at the 25th, $69,650 at the 75th, and $78,250 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $59,780, an estimated $48,587 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,869 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,193 (an effective rate of 18.7%).

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

On the median annual salary of $59,780, gross monthly income is $4,982. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $4,049 per month (or $1,869 every two weeks).

Is $59,780 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

At $59,780, the median salary for truck drivers is 56.3% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 2% 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.