Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary in San Diego, CA
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $36,140 a year — 16% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,314 take-home, or $2,526 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,157
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,241
- Medicare (1.45%)$524
- California income tax$435
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$470
- Take-home pay$30,314
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,000 | $16.83 | $29,458 | $2,455 |
| 25th percentile | $35,360 | $17.00 | $29,728 | $2,477 |
| Median (50th) | $36,140 | $17.38 | $30,314 | $2,526 |
| 75th percentile | $39,220 | $18.86 | $32,625 | $2,719 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $45,160 | $21.71 | $37,083 | $3,090 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,140 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop's $30,314 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,093 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop jobs are about as common in San Diego, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.10).
Best-paying cities for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #13 of 37 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR | $43,410 | $34,091 | $32,338 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $38,430 | $33,059 | $29,747 |
| 3 | Denver, CO | $36,340 | $30,489 | $28,822 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $35,080 | $29,699 | $28,745 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $39,810 | $33,068 | $28,602 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,950 | $28,655 | $28,594 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | $31,200 | $26,720 | $28,100 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $36,360 | $30,380 | $27,901 |
| 13 | San Diego, CA | $36,140 | $30,314 | $27,093 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 37 metros →
About the job: hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop
Welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +3.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop salaries elsewhere in California
- San Francisco, CA — $39,810
- Riverside, CA — $34,830
- Los Angeles, CA — $36,920
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in San Diego, CA?
The median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $36,140 a year, or about $17.38 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,360 and $39,220.
What is a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $36,140 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $30,314 a year ($2,526 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $905 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop?
Pay here is 16% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,093 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #13 of 37 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop 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) — 97% of a median hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
- Chef and Head Cook — $60,600
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $47,100
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $46,980
- Cooks, Restaurant — $46,440
- Cooks, Fast Food — $42,450
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $42,190
- Food Preparation Worker — $38,780
- Dishwasher — $38,530
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $38,260
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $36,330
- Bartender — $36,260
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $35,960