Accountants & Auditors salary in San Diego, CA
Median pay for accountants & auditors in San Diego, CA: $89,120/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $59,840 – $158,950 · about 13,180 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($74,290) by +$14,830 (+20%).
What it's really worth in San Diego
With San Diego's cost of living at 111 (US=100), that $89,120 has the buying power of about $80,476 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $96,974 · median home $946,365 · median rent $2,951/mo.
How San Diego ranks for this job
On raw pay, San Diego, CA is 8th of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once San Diego's cost of living is applied, it ranks 52nd.
The headline number flatters San Diego. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, accountants & auditors here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in San Diego
A median home in San Diego, CA costs $946,365 — about 10.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,951/mo works out at 40% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Diego.
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Diego | Rent vs San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +28% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +17% | 1.1× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +17% | 1.2× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +9% | 0.8× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Diego | Rent vs San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +28% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +17% | 1.1× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $93,650 | +5% | 0.9× |
| Oxnard, CA | $86,750 | −3% | 1× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around San Diego
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Navy · Government
- County of San Diego · Government
Other jobs in San Diego
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.