SOC 11-3111

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in San Diego Metro, CA

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + CA
COL Index: 168.61 (+68.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 63.5% Realized
$102,173 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $160,970 $77.39/hr
Effective Tax Drag 30.53% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$49,139 $1,889.94/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $77.39 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$9,658/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,318/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$25,049
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$9,980
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,334
California Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$9,683
State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Statutory Payroll Assessment
-$2,093
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$102,173 ($3,929.74 / check)
Category 2 of 6

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Compensation and Benefits Managers Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $160,970
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $97.9k 25th $116k Median: $160,970 50th (Median) $161k 75th $192k 90th $229k You: $160,970
10th (Entry) $97,870 $47.05/hr
25th (Junior) $116,340 $55.93/hr
50th (Median) $160,970 $77.39/hr
75th (Senior) $191,640 $92.13/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $229,260 $110.22/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
1
Compensation & Benefits AnalystBachelor's degree (most common O*NET requirement); entry into the field
$96,217$46.26/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Senior Analyst, Total RewardsDemonstrated results in role; works independently on core responsibilities
$122,106$58.70/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Compensation & Benefits ManagerFull professional competence; leads projects or a small team
$160,938$77.37/hr · 5-9 Years
4
Senior Manager, Total RewardsOwns budget, hiring and outcomes for a department or large program
$216,381$104.03/hr · 9-14 Years
5
Director of Total RewardsExecutive or principal scope; sets strategy across the organization or profession
$276,787$133.07/hr · 14+ Years
Scaled to the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA medianView National Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists-$71,020/yr
National median: $78,210
Skill overlap: 96%
Human Resources Specialists-$73,290/yr
National median: $75,940
Skill overlap: 93%
Labor Relations Specialists-$53,810/yr
National median: $95,420
Skill overlap: 93%
Human Resources Managers+$50/yr
National median: $149,280
Skill overlap: 89%View Salary
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
27% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $2,335/month Requires minimum annual gross of $93,400
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,823/month Requires minimum annual gross of $112,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $37.29/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $31.87/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$160,970-$49,139$102,173$3,929.74
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$191,152-$60,875$118,808$4,569.53
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$221,334-$71,344$136,709$5,258.05
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$251,516-$83,378$153,047$5,886.43
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$281,698-$96,196$168,599$6,484.59
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and California tax codes.

Market Baseline
$160,970/yr
$77.39/hr · SOC 11-3111
Statutory Tax Drag
30.53% Effective
-$49,139 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
27% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,179/mo
Post-$2,335/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 11-3111
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: Market Snapshot

Compensation and Benefits Managers roles in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA report a median annual wage of $160,970, 7.9% above the national median of $149,230. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $97,870 to $229,260, and HUD’s $2,335 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.4% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $37.29 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Compensation and Benefits Managers

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$221,800+37.8%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$218,860+36.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$216,580+34.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$215,180+33.7%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$188,850+17.3%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$186,700+16.0%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$185,590+15.3%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$179,730+11.7%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$171,950+6.8%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$168,850+4.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$238,440$114.63/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$207,200$99.62/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$206,740$99.39/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$202,810$97.50/hr
Marketing Managers$174,840$84.06/hr
Financial Manager$174,210$83.75/hr
Physician Assistant$165,160$79.40/hr
Nurse Practitioner$163,860$78.78/hr
Software Engineer$163,270$78.50/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$163,200$78.46/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 90 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Compensation and Benefits Managers Salary in San Diego Metro, CA Overview

Compensation & Benefits Managers median pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $160,970 a year ($77.39/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median annual wage is $160,970 ($77.39 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $97,870 and $229,260. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Compensation and Benefits Managers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA after taxes?

On the median wage of $160,970, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $108,615 a year ($9,051 a month) after $52,355 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 32.52%, using 2026 tax rules.