SOC 29-1071

Physician Assistant Salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, 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 63.2% Realized
$104,425 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $165,160 $79.40/hr
Effective Tax Drag 30.77% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 24% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$50,825 $1,954.81/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 $79.40 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$9,910/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$2,378/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$25,994
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$10,240
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$2,395
California Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$10,049
State Disability Insurance (SDI)
Statutory Payroll Assessment
-$2,147
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$104,425 ($4,016.36 / check)
Category 2 of 6

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Physician Assistant Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $165,160
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $110k 25th $136k Median: $165,160 50th (Median) $165k 75th $205k 90th $215k You: $165,160
10th (Entry) $109,750 $52.76/hr
25th (Junior) $135,720 $65.25/hr
50th (Median) $165,160 $79.40/hr
75th (Senior) $204,920 $98.52/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $214,570 $103.16/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Physician Assistant in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
1
Junior Physician AssistantARC-PA accredited Master's degree, NCCPA PANCE certification, state licensing
$127,626$61.36/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Staff Physician Assistant (Surgical/Inpatient)First-assist surgical certification, specialty clinical rotations, DEA registration
$153,163$73.64/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Physician Assistant SpecialistAdvanced clinical autonomy, specialized procedural competence, supervision of PA fellows
$177,461$85.32/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Chief Physician Assistant / Clinical DirectorHospital clinical administration, credentialing oversight, departmental leadership
$204,201$98.17/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA medianView National Physician Assistant Salary Data
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$165,160-$50,825$104,425$4,016.36
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$196,128-$62,569$121,791$4,684.26
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$227,095-$73,358$140,111$5,388.89
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$258,063-$86,158$156,421$6,016.18
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$289,030-$99,311$172,378$6,629.90
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

Physician Assistant 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
$165,160/yr
$79.40/hr · SOC 29-1071
Statutory Tax Drag
30.77% Effective
-$50,825 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
27% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$6,367/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 29-1071
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

Physician Assistant in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: Market Snapshot

Physician Assistant roles in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA report a median annual wage of $165,160, 21.5% above the national median of $135,880. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $109,750 to $214,570, and HUD’s $2,335 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 17.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $37.29 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Physician Assistant

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$223,640+35.4%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$198,070+19.9%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$184,380+11.6%
Yuba City, CA$183,460+11.1%
Vallejo, CA$179,520+8.7%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$172,750+4.6%
Napa, CA$172,170+4.2%
Salinas, CA$170,180+3.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$170,060+3.0%
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA$168,080+1.8%

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
Nurse Practitioner$163,860$78.78/hr
Software Engineer$163,270$78.50/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$163,200$78.46/hr
Human Resources Managers$163,190$78.46/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 348 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.

Physician Assistant Salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Overview

Physician Assistant median pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $165,160 a year ($79.40/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Physician Assistant 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 Physician Assistant in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median annual wage is $165,160 ($79.40 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $109,750 and $214,570. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Physician Assistant in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA after taxes?

On the median wage of $165,160, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $111,035 a year ($9,253 a month) after $54,125 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 32.77%, using 2026 tax rules.