Example household · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Software developer · San Diego, CA

Software developer in San Diego: $4,664/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median software developer wage in San Diego at $163,270 a year. About 20,610 software developer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.23). The 10th percentile is $95,420 and the 90th is $223,260. Pay ranks 7th-highest of 375 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,292/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,664 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, at $5,031 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

After tax and rent

$4,664

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$163,270

$95,420 to $223,260

Rent (1 bd)

$2,292

$2,728 (2 bd)

Employment

20,610

Location quotient 1.23

Pay rank

7th of 375

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

5.9×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, software developer pay of $163,270.

  • Taxes$4,302
  • Rent$2,292
  • Other$2,348
  • Left$4,664

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$163,270
Federal income tax
−$27,919
Social Security and Medicare
−$12,490
State income tax (CA)
−$11,211
Take-home pay
$111,650
Effective tax rate
31.6%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br
$2,292
Groceries
$468
Getting around
$650
Healthcare
$527
Utilities and internet
$293
Everything else
$410
Total spending
$4,640

After tax and rent

$4,664 left/mo

Rank every metro for a software developer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Las Vegas, $5,031/mo.

Software developer leftover by city →Best cities for software developers to move to →

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Questions

What does a software developer make in San Diego?

$163,270 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 20,610 software developer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a software developer in San Diego?

$4,664 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,292, and pay covers 5.9× a year of it.

Where nearby would a software developer keep more?

Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, leaves $5,031 a month, more than San Diego.

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