Physician Assistants salary in San Diego, CA
Median pay for physician assistants in San Diego, CA: $138,500/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $87,000 – $205,420 · about 1,420 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($125,700) by +$12,800 (+10%).
What it's really worth in San Diego
With San Diego's cost of living at 111 (US=100), that $138,500 has the buying power of about $125,067 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 23rd of the 180 metros we hold physician assistants wages for. Once San Diego's cost of living is applied, it ranks 123rd.
The headline number flatters San Diego. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, physician assistants 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 6.8× 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 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where physician assistants 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 | $208,000 | +50% | 1.2× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +26% | 0.8× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +24% | 0.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +24% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs San Diego | Rent vs San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $208,000 | +50% | 1.2× |
| Vallejo, CA | $174,670 | +26% | 0.8× |
| Modesto, CA | $171,600 | +24% | 0.7× |
| San Francisco, CA | $171,470 | +24% | 1.1× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires physician assistants around San Diego
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of California San Diego · Education
- Sharp HealthCare · Healthcare
- Kaiser Permanente · Healthcare
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 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.