Salary by metro
MBA-Relevant Salaries in San Diego
What the roles MBAs target actually pay in the San Diego metro area — source-labeled BLS wage benchmarks, adjusted for what it costs to live there.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA; cost-of-living from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Roles benchmarked
- 18
- MBA-relevant occupations
- Median wage span
- $96,340–$238,440
- across roles
- Highest median
- $238,440
- Chief Executives
- Cost of living
- 111.9
- price level (U.S. = 100)
What MBA-relevant roles pay in San Diego
Median wage and cost-of-living-adjusted value for each occupation. Open a role for its full percentile range and metro ranking.
| Role (occupation) | Median annual | Cost-of-living adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives SOC 11-1011 | $238,440 | $213,108 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers SOC 11-3021 | $206,740 | $184,776 |
| Marketing Managers SOC 11-2021 | $174,840 | $156,265 |
| Financial Managers SOC 11-3031 | $174,210 | $155,702 |
| Human Resources Managers SOC 11-3121 | $163,190 | $145,853 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers SOC 11-9111 | $138,080 | $123,410 |
| Industrial Production Managers SOC 11-3051 | $132,150 | $118,110 |
| Data Scientists SOC 15-2051 | $130,990 | $117,073 |
| Personal Financial Advisors SOC 13-2052 | $130,330 | $116,484 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers SOC 11-3071 | $120,960 | $108,109 |
| Sales Managers SOC 11-2022 | $119,750 | $107,028 |
| General and Operations Managers SOC 11-1021 | $119,600 | $106,894 |
| Project Management Specialists SOC 13-1082 | $117,460 | $104,981 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts SOC 13-2051 | $106,040 | $94,774 |
| Management Analysts SOC 13-1111 | $101,190 | $90,439 |
| Logisticians SOC 13-1081 | $100,130 | $89,492 |
| Operations Research Analysts SOC 15-2031 | $99,230 | $88,688 |
| Accountants and Auditors SOC 13-2011 | $96,340 | $86,105 |
Compare other metros
Cost of living and San Diego pay
Nominal wages in the San Diego area reflect its industry mix and cost of living. A higher headline number in an expensive metro does not automatically mean a better financial outcome — housing and everyday costs claim more of it. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure so you can compare purchasing power, not just headline pay.
Frequently asked questions
What do MBA-relevant roles pay in San Diego?
Across the 18 MBA-relevant occupations benchmarked for the San Diego metro area, median annual wages span roughly $96,340 to $238,440. These are BLS OEWS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes. The highest-median role here is Chief Executives at $238,440.
Is San Diego an expensive place to earn these salaries?
The San Diego area overall price level is 111.9 against a U.S. average of 100 — above average, so nominal wages there buy less than the headline suggests. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.