Recruiter salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista pays recruiters less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $81,300 a year1: 2.6% below the California statewide median of $83,500 and 7.1% above the US median of $75,940. Only 22 of 521 US areas pay more for this job. About 9,110 recruiters work here, 9% of the California total.
BLS occupation 13-1071, 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 | $51,780 | $81,300 | $140,130 | |
| California | $52,770 | $83,500 | $151,410 | |
| United States | $47,180 | $75,940 | $128,720 |
The middle half of recruiters in San Diego-Chula Vista earns $65,710–$107,800. The top tenth earns $140,130 or more, 2.7 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.7 times. The mean ($91,760) is 13% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $42,090 wide, between the figure for California ($51,370) and the US figure ($40,770).
What to budget for a recruiter here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,780 | $4,315 | $24.89 | $66,813 |
| 25th percentile | $65,710 | $5,476 | $31.59 | $84,787 |
| Median | $81,300 | $6,775 | $39.09 | $104,903 |
| 75th percentile | $107,800 | $8,983 | $51.83 | $139,097 |
| 90th percentile | $140,130 | $11,678 | $67.37 | $180,813 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $26,500 over the median, the 25th only $15,590 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $34,194 a year in employer cost. 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 $75,940 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in San Diego-Chula Vista, and the California statewide median of $83,500 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in San Diego-Chula Vista
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $23,603 to the $81,300 median and brings it to $104,903 a year. 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 recruiters 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 #4 by median pay, between executive assistants ($84,540) and marketing specialists ($79,440). Project Coordinator is the highest at $117,460.
| Role | Median | vs recruiter | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +18.5% | 13,450 | |
| Executive Assistant | +4.0% | 4,510 | |
| Recruiter | this role | 9,110 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -2.3% | n/a | |
| Paralegal | -6.2% | 4,440 |
Measured against the US median, recruiters rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in San Diego-Chula Vista (+7.1%), between customer support specialists (+8.8%) and sales development representatives (+6.6%). The typical role here is at +10.3%, so, measured against the US, recruiters cost less in San Diego-Chula Vista than the area's general pay level would suggest. Recruiters hold 7.1% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in San Diego-Chula Vista, 6.7% across California and 6.1% 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 $70,830 in Redding to $112,140 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $41,310 a year. Of the 2 areas in California with more recruiters than San Diego-Chula Vista, 1 pays less: Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($80,220).
| Area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +3.8% | 310 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +2.3% | 650 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +0.3% | 920 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 9,110 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -0.4% | 5,360 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -0.9% | 1,710 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | -1.2% | 870 |
San Diego-Chula Vista against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, San Diego-Chula Vista is #19 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Baltimore-Columbia and Charlottesville pay just above San Diego-Chula Vista and Kennewick-Richland and Durham-Chapel Hill just below. All four are within $1,130 a year of the median in San Diego-Chula Vista. Of the three markets with about as many recruiters, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs San Diego-Chula Vista | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +1.4% | 610 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +1.3% | 7,930 | pay | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | this area | 9,110 | ||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.0% | 620 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.2% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -3.7% | 8,930 | jobs | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | -6.7% | 8,940 | jobs | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -19.5% | 9,380 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a recruiter in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?
About $104,903 a year at the median, or $8,742 a month: $81,300 in pay plus about $23,603 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for recruiters in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $81,300 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,780, the 90th $140,130, and the middle half earned $65,710 to $107,800.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista cheaper than the rest of California for recruiters?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $81,300 against $83,500 statewide. The next area up in California is Santa Rosa-Petaluma at $81,540, the next down Sacramento-Roseville at $80,950.
How many recruiters work in San Diego-Chula Vista?
BLS counts about 9,110 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the California total of 104,000. Only Los Angeles-Long Beach and San Francisco-Oakland have more in California.
Does a recruiter cost more than a marketing specialist in San Diego-Chula Vista?
Yes: $1,860 a year more at the median. The medians are $81,300 and $79,440.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: 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.