Data Entry Specialist salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista pays data entry specialists less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $43,770 a year1: 6.9% below the California statewide median of $47,010 and 5.9% above the US median of $41,340. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#80 of 394). BLS counts about 1,020 people in this job here, 7% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in San Diego-Chula Vista against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | $36,380 | $43,770 | $56,220 | |
| California | $37,490 | $47,010 | $61,520 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in San Diego-Chula Vista earns $39,440–$49,220. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $56,220, only 1.5 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,780 wide, against $12,660 across California and $12,650 nationally: employers in San Diego-Chula Vista pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,380 | $3,032 | $17.49 | $46,942 |
| 25th percentile | $39,440 | $3,287 | $18.96 | $50,890 |
| Median | $43,770 | $3,648 | $21.04 | $56,477 |
| 75th percentile | $49,220 | $4,102 | $23.66 | $63,510 |
| 90th percentile | $56,220 | $4,685 | $27.03 | $72,542 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $4,330 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $5,450, or about $7,032 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $41,340 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in San Diego-Chula Vista, and the California statewide median of $47,010 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in San Diego-Chula Vista
At the $43,770 median, a local hire costs about $56,477 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,707 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for data entry specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in San Diego-Chula Vista
Data entry specialists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista; project coordinators have the highest, at $117,460.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +18.0% | 11,260 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +11.3% | 14,030 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +8.8% | 760 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +1.4% | 6,690 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 1,020 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista (+5.9%), between sales development representatives (+6.6%) and e-commerce order specialists (+3.1%). The typical role here is at +10.3%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost less in San Diego-Chula Vista than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.8% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in San Diego-Chula Vista, 0.9% across California and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 25 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $39,520 in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara to $54,510 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $14,990 a year. All 3 areas in California with more data entry specialists than San Diego-Chula Vista also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($47,040) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($51,250).
| Area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia, CA | +0.7% | 80 | |
| Modesto, CA | +0.4% | 130 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +0.3% | 50 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 1,020 | |
| Fresno, CA | -0.6% | 270 | |
| El Centro, CA | -4.4% | 40 | |
| Chico, CA | -4.7% | 50 |
San Diego-Chula Vista against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Diego-Chula Vista is #19 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Savannah and Phoenix-Mesa pay just above San Diego-Chula Vista and Fort Collins-Loveland and Atlanta-Sandy Springs just below. All four are within $390 a year of the median in San Diego-Chula Vista. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | +0.9% | 2,650 | pay | |
| Savannah, GA | +0.3% | 110 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 1,020 | ||
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -0.3% | 60 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -0.4% | 1,810 | pay | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | -6.7% | 950 | jobs | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -11.6% | 930 | jobs | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -13.7% | 1,090 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?
About $56,477 a year at the median, or $4,706 a month: $43,770 in pay plus about $12,707 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $43,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,380, the 90th $56,220, and the middle half earned $39,440 to $49,220.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista cheaper than the rest of California for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,770 against $47,010 statewide. The next area up in California is the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area at $43,920, the next down Fresno at $43,490.
How many data entry specialists work in San Diego-Chula Vista?
BLS counts about 1,020 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the California total of 14,520. 3 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Riverside-San Bernardino, with about 1,130.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in San Diego-Chula Vista?
No: $620 a year less at the median. The medians are $43,770 and $44,390.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.