SOC 11-9021 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro

Construction Managers Salary in San Diego, CA

The average salary for construction managers in San Diego, California is $138,000 a year ($66.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $133,210: half of the 3,800 people in this job in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($125,456).

$138,000average per year

$66.34 / hourMedian $133,210Take-home ≈ $96,847

  • $82K10th
  • $103K25th
  • $133KMedian
  • $163K75th
  • $208K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

3,800people in this job
+10%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 25California metros
112cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Construction Managers pay range in San Diego

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $82,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $208,350 or more. The middle half of construction managers in San Diego earn between $102,510 and $163,270.

  • $82K10th
  • $103K25th
  • $133KMedian
  • $163K75th
  • $208K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$138,000$11,500$66.35
Median$133,210$11,101$64.04
Entry level (25th percentile)$102,510$8,542$49.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$163,270$13,606$78.50

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Construction Managers salary after taxes in San Diego

On the average salary of $138,000, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $96,847 a year, or $8,071 a month and $3,725 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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.

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Is San Diego a good place for construction managers? 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 $138,000 buys what about $123,339 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $138,000 is worth in another city

Construction Managers salary in other California cities

San Diego ranks 6th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($168,220).

All Construction Managers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for construction managers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($168,220).

Construction Managers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Construction Managers in San Diego, CA.

Construction Managers salary in San Diego: questions

How much do construction managers make an hour in San Diego?

$66.34 an hour on average, and $64.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level construction managers salary in San Diego?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $82,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $102,510, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the construction managers take-home pay in San Diego?

About $96,847 a year ($8,071 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $138,000. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do construction managers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($125,456).

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 11-9021; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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 1.01, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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