SOC 19-4071 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro

Forest and Conservation Technicians Salary in San Diego, CA

The average salary for forest and conservation technicians in San Diego, California is $66,200 a year ($31.83 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,880: half of the 370 people in this job in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($60,985).

$66,200average per year

$31.83 / hourMedian $61,880Take-home ≈ $53,148

  • $46K10th
  • $55K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

370people in this job
+9%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 12California metros
112cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Forest and Conservation Technicians pay range in San Diego

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,000 or more. The middle half of forest and conservation technicians in San Diego earn between $54,520 and $79,020.

  • $46K10th
  • $55K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $92K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$66,200$5,517$31.83
Median$61,880$5,157$29.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$54,520$4,543$26.21
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,020$6,585$37.99

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

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary after taxes in San Diego

On the average salary of $66,200, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $53,148 a year, or $4,429 a month and $2,044 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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.

Advertisement

Is San Diego a good place for forest and conservation technicians? 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 $66,200 buys what about $59,167 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 14.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $66,200 is worth in another city

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in other California cities

San Diego ranks 7th of 12 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($77,010).

All Forest and Conservation Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for forest and conservation technicians

Santa Rosa, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($77,010).

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Forest and Conservation Technicians in San Diego, CA.

Forest and Conservation Technicians salary in San Diego: questions

How much do forest and conservation technicians make an hour in San Diego?

$31.83 an hour on average, and $29.75 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level forest and conservation technicians salary in San Diego?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $54,520, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the forest and conservation technicians take-home pay in San Diego?

About $53,148 a year ($4,429 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,200. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do forest and conservation technicians earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($60,985).

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 19-4071; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 1.22, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.