Conservation Scientists pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $131,600 or more. The middle half of conservation scientists in San Diego earn between $66,560 and $94,600.
- $55K10th
- $67K25th
- $78KMedian
- $95K75th
- $132K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $85,940 | $7,162 | $41.32 |
| Median | $78,200 | $6,517 | $37.60 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $66,560 | $5,547 | $32.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $94,600 | $7,883 | $45.48 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Conservation Scientists salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $85,940, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $65,388 a year, or $5,449 a month and $2,515 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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 conservation scientists? 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 $85,940 buys what about $76,810 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 11.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Conservation Scientists salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 7th of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($118,820).
- San Jose$118,820
- San Francisco$99,130
- Santa Cruz$96,480
- Sacramento$92,500
- Salinas$88,500
- Santa Maria$88,130
- San Diego$85,940
- Santa Rosa$85,840
- Oxnard$85,140
- Riverside$80,140
Highest-paying cities for conservation scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,820).
- San Jose, CA$118,820
- Washington, DC$108,770
- Springfield, IL$105,360
- Amherst, MA$99,360
- San Francisco, CA$99,130
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Conservation Scientists salary in San Diego: questions
How much do conservation scientists make an hour in San Diego?
$41.32 an hour on average, and $37.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level conservation scientists salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $66,560, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the conservation scientists take-home pay in San Diego?
About $65,388 a year ($5,449 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $85,940. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do conservation scientists earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($78,606).
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 19-1031; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.8%.
- 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 0.60, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.60).
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