SOC 11-3121 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro

Human Resources Managers Salary in San Diego, CA

The average salary for human resources managers in San Diego, California is $176,250 a year ($84.74 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $163,190: half of the 2,300 people in this job in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($166,439).

$176,250average per year

$84.74 / hourMedian $163,190Take-home ≈ $119,434

  • $97K10th
  • $124K25th
  • $163KMedian
  • $208K75th
  • $282K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,300people in this job
+6%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 24California metros
112cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Human Resources Managers pay range in San Diego

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $97,050 a year or less, while the top 10% make $282,400 or more. The middle half of human resources managers in San Diego earn between $124,470 and $208,460.

  • $97K10th
  • $124K25th
  • $163KMedian
  • $208K75th
  • $282K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$176,250$14,688$84.74
Median$163,190$13,599$78.46
Entry level (25th percentile)$124,470$10,372$59.84
Experienced (75th percentile)$208,460$17,372$100.22

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

Human Resources Managers salary after taxes in San Diego

On the average salary of $176,250, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $119,434 a year, or $9,953 a month and $4,594 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% 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 human resources 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 $176,250 buys what about $157,525 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 5.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $176,250 is worth in another city

Human Resources Managers salary in other California cities

San Diego ranks 4th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($257,750).

All Human Resources Managers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for human resources managers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($257,750).

Human Resources Managers salary by city

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Human Resources Managers salary in San Diego: questions

How much do human resources managers make an hour in San Diego?

$84.74 an hour on average, and $78.46 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $97,050 a year and the 25th percentile is $124,470, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $119,434 a year ($9,953 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $176,250. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do human resources managers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($166,439).

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 11-3121; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • 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 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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