Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Protective Service Workers, All Other Salary in San Diego, CA

Protective Service Workers, All Other in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $44,270 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $36,415 take-home, or $3,035 a month.

Median salary
$44,270
$21.28 per hour
Typical range
$35,050 – $74,750
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in San Diego, CA
2,570
3.19× national concentration
▲14.4%
Pay trend: The median for protective service workers, all other in San Diego, CA rose from $38,700 (May 2024) to $44,270 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 12.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median protective service workers, all other salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Protective Service Workers, All Other in San Diego, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$36,415
per year · effective tax rate 17.7%
$3,035Monthly
$1,517Twice a month
$1,401Every 2 weeks
$17.51Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,132
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,745
  • Medicare (1.45%)$642
  • California income tax$760
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$576
  • Take-home pay$36,415

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Protective Service Workers, All Other pay by experience in San Diego, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$35,050$16.85$29,496$2,458
25th percentile$35,200$16.92$29,608$2,467
Median (50th)$44,270$21.28$36,415$3,035
75th percentile$74,750$35.94$57,677$4,806
90th percentile (top earners)$74,750$35.94$57,677$4,806

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $44,270 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 protective service workers, all other's $36,415 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,547 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,459
81% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$3,001
99% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$576
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

San Diego, CA has 3.2× the national concentration of protective service workers, all other jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for protective service workers, all other, adjusted for cost of living

San Diego, CA ranks #4 of 8 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1New York, NY $57,920$46,188$41,033
2Denver, CO $43,720$36,094$34,121
3Riverside, CA $43,050$35,500$33,351
4San Diego, CA $44,270$36,415$32,547
5Seattle, WA $42,170$36,064$32,451
6San Francisco, CA $44,490$36,580$31,640
7Philadelphia, PA $35,060$29,274$28,545
8Los Angeles, CA $37,290$31,177$27,453

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 8 metros →

About the job: protective service workers, all other

All protective service workers not listed separately.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+3.0% (about average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Protective Service Workers, All Other salaries elsewhere in California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a protective service workers, all other make in San Diego, CA?

The median protective service workers, all other salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $44,270 a year, or about $21.28 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,200 and $74,750.

What is a protective service workers, all other’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?

On the median $44,270 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $36,415 a year ($3,035 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,336 in California taxes in 2026.

Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a protective service workers, all other?

Pay here is 4% above the national median of $42,540. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,547 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #4 of 8 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a protective service workers, all other 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) — 81% of a median protective service workers, all other’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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