Dishwashers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,380 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,560 or more. The middle half of dishwashers in San Diego earn between $36,910 and $42,450.
- $35K10th
- $37K25th
- $39KMedian
- $42K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $39,820 | $3,318 | $19.14 |
| Median | $38,530 | $3,211 | $18.52 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,910 | $3,076 | $17.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $42,450 | $3,538 | $20.41 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Dishwashers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $39,820, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $33,447 a year, or $2,787 a month and $1,286 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 dishwashers? 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 $39,820 buys what about $35,589 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 23.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Dishwashers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 6th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($44,840).
- San Jose$44,840
- San Francisco$43,040
- Napa$42,060
- Santa Rosa$40,220
- Salinas$39,830
- San Diego$39,820
- Los Angeles$39,240
- Vallejo$39,100
- Santa Cruz$38,790
- Santa Maria$38,750
Highest-paying cities for dishwashers
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,880).
- Kahului, HI$46,880
- San Jose, CA$44,840
- San Francisco, CA$43,040
- Seattle, WA$42,770
- Napa, CA$42,060
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Dishwashers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do dishwashers make an hour in San Diego?
$19.14 an hour on average, and $18.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level dishwashers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,380 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,910, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the dishwashers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $33,447 a year ($2,787 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,820. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do dishwashers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($34,691).
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 35-9021; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 1.65, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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