SOC 49-9051

Electrical Power-Line Installer Salary in San Diego Metro, CA (2026)

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 66.6% Realized
$80,457 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $120,870 $58.11/hr
Effective Tax Drag 27.44% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$33,161 $1,275.43/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 $58.11 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,252/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,595/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$16,166
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,494
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,753
California Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$6,177
State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Statutory Payroll Assessment
-$1,571
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$80,457 ($3,094.49 / check)
Category 2 of 6

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Electrical Power-Line Installer Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $120,870
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $65.7k 25th $97.7k Median: $120,870 50th (Median) $121k 75th $158k 90th $159k You: $120,870
10th (Entry) $65,670 $31.57/hr
25th (Junior) $97,660 $46.95/hr
50th (Median) $120,870 $58.11/hr
75th (Senior) $157,640 $75.79/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $158,870 $76.38/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Electrical Power-Line Installer in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
1
Line Apprentice (Groundman)CDL Class A, climbing school cert, high-voltage safety compliance
$65,938$31.70/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Journeyman LinemanHot stick work, bucket truck operations, transformer bank wiring
$103,980$49.99/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Troubleshooter / Senior LinemanStorm emergency response, substation maintenance, live-line barehand
$131,877$63.40/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Line Crew Foreman / SuperintendentCrew management, outage dispatch coordination, grid safety oversight
$162,310$78.03/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA medianView National Electrical Power-Line Installer Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers-$20,990/yr
National median: $74,330
Skill overlap: 85%
Electricians-$32,130/yr
National median: $63,190
Skill overlap: 83%View Salary
Helpers--Electricians-$52,650/yr
National median: $42,670
Skill overlap: 82%
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay+$7,700/yr
National median: $103,020
Skill overlap: 78%
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)
35% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
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$120,870-$33,161$80,457$3,094.49
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$143,533-$42,120$92,801$3,569.28
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$166,196-$51,242$104,982$4,037.78
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$188,859-$60,094$117,434$4,516.68
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$211,523-$67,915$130,916$5,035.23
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

Electrical Power-Line Installer 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
$120,870/yr
$58.11/hr · SOC 49-9051
Statutory Tax Drag
27.44% Effective
-$33,161 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
35% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$4,370/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 49-9051
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

Electrical Power-Line Installer in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: Market Snapshot

Electrical Power-Line Installer roles in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA report a median annual wage of $120,870, 26.8% above the national median of $95,320. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $65,670 to $158,870, and HUD’s $2,335 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 23.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $37.29 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Electrical Power-Line Installer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$157,620+30.4%
Eugene-Springfield, OR$140,270+16.1%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$137,180+13.5%
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$135,450+12.1%
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$135,400+12.0%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$135,300+11.9%
Urban Honolulu, HI$135,080+11.8%
El Centro, CA$134,950+11.6%
Salem, OR$134,500+11.3%
Fresno, CA$134,150+11.0%

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, 261 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.

Electrical Power-Line Installer Salary in San Diego Metro, CA (2026) Overview

Electrical Power-Line Installer median pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $120,870 a year ($58.11/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Electrical Power-Line Installer 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 an Electrical Power-Line Installer in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median annual wage is $120,870 ($58.11 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $65,670 and $158,870. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for an Electrical Power-Line Installer in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA after taxes?

On the median wage of $120,870, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $85,439 a year ($7,120 a month) after $35,431 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 29.31%, using 2026 tax rules.