Office Manager salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista pays office managers less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $76,120 a year1: 1.9% below the California statewide median of $77,590 and 9.5% above the US median of $69,500. Nationally that is #30 of 519 areas, in the top tenth. About 11,780 office managers work here, 8% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-1011, 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 | $49,940 | $76,120 | $114,730 | |
| California | $50,870 | $77,590 | $121,650 | |
| United States | $45,610 | $69,500 | $104,710 |
Office managers at the 90th percentile earn $114,730, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.3. The middle half of office managers in San Diego-Chula Vista earns $62,020–$92,560. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $30,540 wide, between the figure for California ($34,420) and the US figure ($29,140).
What to budget for an office manager here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,940 | $4,162 | $24.01 | $64,439 |
| 25th percentile | $62,020 | $5,168 | $29.82 | $80,026 |
| Median | $76,120 | $6,343 | $36.60 | $98,219 |
| 75th percentile | $92,560 | $7,713 | $44.50 | $119,432 |
| 90th percentile | $114,730 | $9,561 | $55.16 | $148,039 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,440 a year in pay and about $21,213 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,100 in pay. 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 $69,500 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in San Diego-Chula Vista, and the California statewide median of $77,590 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in San Diego-Chula Vista
At the $76,120 median, a local hire costs about $98,219 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,099 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 office managers 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
Of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between paralegals ($76,300) and sales development representatives ($74,610). Project Coordinator is the highest at $117,460.
| Role | Median | vs office manager | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +4.4% | n/a | |
| Paralegal | +0.2% | 4,440 | |
| Office Manager | this role | 11,780 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -2.0% | 11,730 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -16.2% | 1,840 |
Measured against the US median, office managers rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista (+9.5%), between payroll specialists (+9.5%) and customer support specialists (+8.8%). The typical role here is at +10.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Office managers hold 9.2% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in San Diego-Chula Vista, 9.6% across California and 9.6% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $66,410 in El Centro to $95,010 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $28,600 a year. Of the 3 areas in California with more office managers than San Diego-Chula Vista, 1 pays less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($73,640).
| Area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.6% | 9,190 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.3% | 1,440 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +0.3% | 1,730 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 11,780 | |
| Modesto, CA | -2.6% | 1,490 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | -2.7% | 2,190 | |
| Salinas, CA | -2.8% | 1,230 |
San Diego-Chula Vista against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Diego-Chula Vista is #24 of 517 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Mount Vernon-Anacortes and Austin-Round Rock pay just above San Diego-Chula Vista and Bend and Salem just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in San Diego-Chula Vista. Of the three markets with about as many office managers, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +0.2% | 17,400 | pay | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +0.1% | 490 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 11,780 | ||
| Bend, OR | -0.1% | 670 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | -0.2% | 1,190 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -14.4% | 10,770 | jobs | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -16.1% | 12,300 | jobs | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -17.9% | 11,110 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an office manager in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?
About $98,219 a year at the median, or $8,185 a month: $76,120 in pay plus about $22,099 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for office managers in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $76,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $49,940, the 90th $114,730, and the middle half earned $62,020 to $92,560.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista cheaper than the rest of California for office managers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $76,120 against $77,590 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Rosa-Petaluma at $76,320, the next down Modesto at $74,140.
How many office managers work in San Diego-Chula Vista?
BLS counts about 11,780 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the California total of 149,230. 3 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Riverside-San Bernardino, with about 13,240.
Does an office manager cost more than a sales development representative in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Yes: $1,510 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,120 and $74,610.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-1011: 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.