SOC 29-1216 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
General Internal Medicine Physicians — San Diego
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in San Diego, CA comes to $282,200 a year, ahead of the national median of $256,560 by 10.0%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in San Diego, CA comes to $282,200 a year, ahead of the national median of $256,560 by 10.0%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $174,380 and $406,780. The lowest tenth earn under $87,260, while the highest tenth earn more than $444,920.
Santa Cruz leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $430,970. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 8th of 671 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $87,260 | −66.0% |
| 25th | $174,380 | −32.0% |
| Median (50th) | $282,200 | +10.0% |
| 75th | $406,780 | +58.6% |
| 90th | $444,920 | +73.4% |
| Mean | $289,630 | +12.9% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz | $430,970 | — | |
| 2 | Sacramento | $361,590 | — | |
| 3 | San Francisco | $351,670 | — | |
| 4 | San Jose | $347,870 | — | |
| 5 | Oxnard | $314,720 | — | |
| 6 | Visalia | $307,430 | 70 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | $303,980 | — | |
| 8 | San Luis Obispo | $289,840 | — | |
| 9 | Bakersfield | $239,200 | — | |
| 10 | Riverside | $99,840 | 650 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in San Diego run 10.7% above the national average, so the median of $282,200 buys what $254,923 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 0.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$282,200as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$254,923US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $282,200 a year, 10.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $87,260 to $444,920 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Santa Cruz, at $430,970.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for General Internal Medicine Physicians in San Diego, CA?
The median annual wage is $282,200, or $135.67 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $256,560, so pay in San Diego, CA is 10.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in San Diego, CA earns more than $444,920 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $87,260 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Santa Cruz, at $430,970 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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