Recreation Workers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,790 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,480 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in San Diego earn between $38,030 and $44,450.
- $37K10th
- $38K25th
- $40KMedian
- $44K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,610 | $3,551 | $20.49 |
| Median | $40,380 | $3,365 | $19.41 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,030 | $3,169 | $18.28 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,450 | $3,704 | $21.37 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Recreation Workers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $42,610, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $35,577 a year, or $2,965 a month and $1,368 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 recreation workers? 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 $42,610 buys what about $38,083 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 22.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Recreation Workers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 9th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($54,750).
- San Jose$54,750
- San Francisco$48,810
- Napa$45,860
- Santa Maria$45,460
- Santa Rosa$44,760
- Santa Cruz$43,410
- Sacramento$42,820
- Yuba City$42,790
- San Diego$42,610
- Vallejo$42,490
Highest-paying cities for recreation workers
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).
- Fairbanks, AK$61,070
- San Jose, CA$54,750
- San Francisco, CA$48,810
- Seattle, WA$47,840
- Bozeman, MT$47,520
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Recreation Workers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do recreation workers make an hour in San Diego?
$20.49 an hour on average, and $19.42 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,790 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,030, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the recreation workers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $35,577 a year ($2,965 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,610. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do recreation workers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).
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 39-9032; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
- 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 1.28, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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