Project Coordinator salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista pays project coordinators less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $117,460 a year1: 2.9% below the California statewide median of $120,910 and 14.8% above the US median of $102,320. Nationally that is #13 of 518 areas, in the top tenth. About 10,740 project coordinators work here, 9% of the California total.
BLS occupation 13-1082, 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 | $69,660 | $117,460 | $171,400 | |
| California | $69,180 | $120,910 | $188,560 | |
| United States | $61,580 | $102,320 | $167,970 |
Project coordinators at the 90th percentile earn $171,400, 2.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.7. The middle half of project coordinators in San Diego-Chula Vista earns $86,370–$139,940. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $53,570 wide, against $70,230 across California and $54,660 nationally: employers in San Diego-Chula Vista pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a project coordinator here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $69,660 | $5,805 | $33.49 | $89,884 |
| 25th percentile | $86,370 | $7,198 | $41.52 | $111,445 |
| Median | $117,460 | $9,788 | $56.47 | $151,561 |
| 75th percentile | $139,940 | $11,662 | $67.28 | $180,568 |
| 90th percentile | $171,400 | $14,283 | $82.40 | $221,161 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $31,090 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $22,480, or about $29,006 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 $102,320 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in San Diego-Chula Vista, and the California statewide median of $120,910 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in San Diego-Chula Vista
At the $117,460 median, a local hire costs about $151,561 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $34,101 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 project coordinators 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
Project coordinators have the highest median of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista; data entry specialists have the lowest, at $43,770.
| Role | Median | vs project coordinator | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | this role | 10,740 | |
| Accountant | -18.0% | 13,450 | |
| Executive Assistant | -28.0% | 4,510 | |
| Recruiter | -30.8% | 9,110 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -32.4% | n/a |
Measured against the US median, project coordinators rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista (+14.8%), between accountants (+15.1%) and medical administrative assistants (+12.5%). The typical role here is at +10.3%, so, measured against the US, project coordinators cost more in San Diego-Chula Vista than the area's general pay level would suggest. Project coordinators hold 8.4% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in San Diego-Chula Vista, 7.4% across California and 7.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $86,540 in the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area to $135,120 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $48,580 a year. Of the 2 areas in California with more project coordinators than San Diego-Chula Vista, 1 pays less: Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($108,310).
| Area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +15.0% | 20,770 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +5.9% | 6,860 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | +0.8% | 90 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 10,740 | |
| Napa, CA | -7.2% | 310 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -7.4% | 640 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -7.8% | 38,540 |
San Diego-Chula Vista against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Diego-Chula Vista is #23 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, Boulder and Peoria pay just above San Diego-Chula Vista and Warner Robins and Denver-Aurora just below. Of the three markets with about as many project coordinators, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | +5.3% | 730 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | +3.9% | 2,920 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 10,740 | ||
| Warner Robins, GA | -0.4% | 350 | pay | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | -0.6% | 20,710 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -10.4% | 11,570 | jobs | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -14.4% | 10,450 | jobs | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -21.6% | 9,990 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a project coordinator in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?
About $151,561 a year at the median, or $12,630 a month: $117,460 in pay plus about $34,101 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for project coordinators in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $117,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $69,660, the 90th $171,400, and the middle half earned $86,370 to $139,940.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista cheaper than the rest of California for project coordinators?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $117,460 against $120,910 statewide. The next area up in California is Hanford-Corcoran at $118,380, the next down Napa at $109,060.
How many project coordinators work in San Diego-Chula Vista?
BLS counts about 10,740 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the California total of 114,380. Only Los Angeles-Long Beach and San Francisco-Oakland have more in California.
Does a project coordinator cost more than an accountant in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Yes: $21,120 a year more at the median. The medians are $117,460 and $96,340.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1082: 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.