Web Developer Salary in San Diego, CA
Web Developers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $98,300 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $71,794 take-home, or $5,983 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median web developer salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$12,796
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,095
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,425
- California income tax$4,912
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,278
- Take-home pay$71,794
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state
Web Developer pay by experience in San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $58,010 | $27.89 | $46,507 | $3,876 |
| 25th percentile | $79,250 | $38.10 | $60,411 | $5,034 |
| Median (50th) | $98,300 | $47.26 | $71,794 | $5,983 |
| 75th percentile | $135,570 | $65.18 | $93,787 | $7,816 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $174,430 | $83.86 | $116,229 | $9,686 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $98,300 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 web developer's $71,794 take-home pay has the buying power of $64,166 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Web Developer jobs are less concentrated in San Diego, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.76), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for web developers, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #24 of 27 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $166,670 | $111,748 | $101,199 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $130,440 | $100,422 | $90,362 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $152,450 | $103,535 | $89,553 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $134,350 | $94,643 | $86,921 |
| 5 | St. Louis, MO | $106,360 | $79,593 | $83,704 |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | $108,550 | $80,832 | $80,592 |
| 7 | Provo, UT | $103,970 | $78,260 | $79,669 |
| 8 | Charlotte, NC | $101,980 | $77,013 | $79,111 |
| 24 | San Diego, CA | $98,300 | $71,794 | $64,166 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 27 metros →
Web Developer salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $166,670
- San Francisco, CA — $152,450
- Los Angeles, CA — $107,290
Frequently asked questions
How much does a web developer make in San Diego, CA?
The median web developer salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $98,300 a year, or about $47.26 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $79,250 and $135,570.
What is a web developer’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $98,300 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $71,794 a year ($5,983 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $6,190 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a web developer?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $92,650. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $64,166 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #24 of 27 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a web developer 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) — 41% of a median web developer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
- Software Developer — $163,270
- Computer Network Architect — $157,700
- Computer Programmer — $134,130
- Information Security Analyst — $132,120
- Data Scientist — $130,990
- Computer Occupations, All Other — $127,600
- Web and Digital Interface Designer — $123,850
- Computer and Information Research Scientist — $121,530
- Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester — $120,210
- Computer Systems Analyst — $119,090
- Database Administrator — $106,820
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator — $105,170