Childcare Workers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $50,670 or more. The middle half of childcare workers in San Diego earn between $37,500 and $45,480.
- $35K10th
- $38K25th
- $40KMedian
- $45K75th
- $51K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,370 | $3,531 | $20.37 |
| Median | $39,800 | $3,317 | $19.13 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,500 | $3,125 | $18.03 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $45,480 | $3,790 | $21.87 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Childcare Workers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $42,370, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $35,394 a year, or $2,949 a month and $1,361 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for childcare workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $42,370 buys what about $37,869 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 22.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Childcare Workers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 9th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($48,450).
- San Jose$48,450
- San Francisco$46,100
- Santa Rosa$43,840
- El Centro$43,020
- Napa$42,870
- Riverside$42,870
- Modesto$42,600
- Salinas$42,380
- San Diego$42,370
- Los Angeles$41,930
Highest-paying cities for childcare workers
Sarasota, FL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,680).
- Sarasota, FL$52,680
- San Jose, CA$48,450
- San Francisco, CA$46,100
- Seattle, WA$44,390
- Boulder, CO$44,280
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Childcare Workers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do childcare workers make an hour in San Diego?
$20.37 an hour on average, and $19.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level childcare workers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,500, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the childcare workers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $35,394 a year ($2,949 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,370. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do childcare workers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 19% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,505).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-9011; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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