Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary in San Diego, CA
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $66,060 a year — 8% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $52,328 take-home, or $4,361 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median meeting, convention, and event planners salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,747
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,096
- Medicare (1.45%)$958
- California income tax$2,073
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$859
- Take-home pay$52,328
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 8.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,060 | $22.14 | $37,759 | $3,147 |
| 25th percentile | $57,200 | $27.50 | $45,915 | $3,826 |
| Median (50th) | $66,060 | $31.76 | $52,328 | $4,361 |
| 75th percentile | $81,140 | $39.01 | $61,541 | $5,128 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $99,440 | $47.81 | $72,475 | $6,040 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $66,060 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median meeting, convention, and event planners's $52,328 take-home pay has the buying power of $46,768 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
San Diego, CA has 1.7× the national concentration of meeting, convention, and event planners jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for meeting, convention, and event planners, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #11 of 13 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $78,010 | $60,030 | $55,446 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $82,120 | $62,126 | $53,736 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $78,610 | $60,484 | $53,734 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $75,450 | $58,451 | $53,682 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $69,890 | $57,998 | $52,188 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $62,720 | $52,576 | $51,000 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,380 | $50,173 | $48,563 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $62,640 | $49,555 | $47,836 |
| 11 | San Diego, CA | $66,060 | $52,328 | $46,768 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 13 metros →
About the job: meeting, convention, and event planners
Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +5.8% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners salaries elsewhere in California
- San Francisco, CA — $82,120
- Los Angeles, CA — $68,850
Frequently asked questions
How much does a meeting, convention, and event planners make in San Diego, CA?
The median meeting, convention, and event planners salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $66,060 a year, or about $31.76 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $57,200 and $81,140.
What is a meeting, convention, and event planners’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $66,060 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $52,328 a year ($4,361 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,931 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a meeting, convention, and event planners?
Pay here is 8% above the national median of $61,160. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $46,768 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #11 of 13 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a meeting, convention, and event planners afford rent in San Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 56% of a median meeting, convention, and event planners’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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