Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Salary in San Diego, CA
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $59,550 a year — 23% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $47,632 take-home, or $3,969 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,966
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,692
- Medicare (1.45%)$863
- California income tax$1,622
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$774
- Take-home pay$47,632
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $40,610 | $19.52 | $33,668 | $2,806 |
| 25th percentile | $46,990 | $22.59 | $38,457 | $3,205 |
| Median (50th) | $59,550 | $28.63 | $47,632 | $3,969 |
| 75th percentile | $77,430 | $37.23 | $59,313 | $4,943 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $94,550 | $45.46 | $69,553 | $5,796 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $59,550 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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers's $47,632 take-home pay has the buying power of $42,571 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers jobs are about as common in San Diego, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.01).
Best-paying cities for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #15 of 45 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $76,800 | $62,859 | $56,562 |
| 2 | Wichita, KS | $63,030 | $50,107 | $56,334 |
| 3 | Kansas City, MO | $63,000 | $50,777 | $54,868 |
| 4 | Tulsa, OK | $56,210 | $45,361 | $50,845 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $60,040 | $48,645 | $47,345 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach, VA | $57,330 | $45,762 | $46,724 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $61,820 | $49,281 | $45,260 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $58,900 | $47,024 | $44,861 |
| 15 | San Diego, CA | $59,550 | $47,632 | $42,571 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 45 metros →
About the job: inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.5% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $60,610
- San Francisco, CA — $62,340
- Los Angeles, CA — $51,560
- Riverside, CA — $47,140
Frequently asked questions
How much does a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in San Diego, CA?
The median inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $59,550 a year, or about $28.63 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $46,990 and $77,430.
What is a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $59,550 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $47,632 a year ($3,969 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,397 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?
Pay here is 23% above the national median of $48,570. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $42,571 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #15 of 45 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers 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) — 62% of a median inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
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- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $62,560
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers — $47,850
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $47,350
- Production Workers, All Other — $44,730
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender — $40,000
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker — $38,910