Graphic Designers salary in San Diego, CA

Median pay for graphic designers in San Diego, CA: $66,240/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $41,190 – $103,220 · about 2,260 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($50,005) by +$16,235 (+32%).

What it's really worth in San Diego

With San Diego's cost of living at 111 (US=100), that $66,240 has the buying power of about $59,815 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $96,974 · median home $946,365 · median rent $2,951/mo.

Full San Diego cost of living & taxes →

How San Diego ranks for this job

On raw pay, San Diego, CA is 11th of the 186 metros we hold graphic designers wages for. Once San Diego's cost of living is applied, it ranks 27th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so San Diego sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in San Diego

A median home in San Diego, CA costs $946,365 — about 14.3× 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 53% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.

Where graphic designers 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	$96,260	+45%	1.2×
San Francisco, CA	$92,380	+39%	1.1×
Washington, DC	$80,100	+21%	0.8×
New York, NY	$75,900	+15%	1.2×

Same job elsewhere in CA

Metro	Median pay	vs San Diego	Rent vs San Diego
San Jose, CA	$96,260	+45%	1.2×
San Francisco, CA	$92,380	+39%	1.1×
Los Angeles, CA	$74,050	+12%	1×
Santa Maria, CA	$72,480	+9%	1.1×

Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires graphic designers around San Diego

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Qualcomm · Tech

Other jobs in San Diego