SalaryExplorer

SOC 27-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Producers and Directors — San Diego

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 10 metro areas compared

$99,520 /year
$47.85per hour
990jobs in area
+10.1%vs US median

In San Diego, CA the median wage for Producers and Directors is $99,520 a year, which is 10.1% higher than the national figure of $90,360.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $90,36010TH$53,25025TH$70,710MEDIAN$99,52075TH$133,09090TH$181,840

How pay has moved

$110,548$44,3832019202020212022202320242025$99,520
$57,960 in 2019 to $99,520 in 2025, +71.7% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+4.9%
Openings per year
12,800
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
Related work experience
Less than 5 years

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

8.2% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

In San Diego, CA the median wage for Producers and Directors is $99,520 a year, which is 10.1% higher than the national figure of $90,360. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $70,710 and $133,090. The lowest tenth earn under $53,250, while the highest tenth earn more than $181,840.

The area has 990 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.70 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Los Angeles records the highest median at $131,600. Of the 671 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 175th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$53,250−41.1%
25th$70,710−21.7%
Median (50th)$99,520+10.1%
75th$133,090+47.3%
90th$181,840+101.2%
Mean$122,920+36.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in California

Median annual wage for Producers and Directors, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Los Angeles$131,60021,910
2San Francisco$130,6405,030
3Riverside$97,360470
4Bakersfield$92,510110
5Vallejo$87,91030
6Salinas$87,900100
7Fresno$78,730230
8Santa Cruz$77,53080
9Santa Maria$76,860180
10San Luis Obispo$71,50060

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in San Diego run 11.9% above the national average, so the median of $99,520 buys what $88,937 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 1.6% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$99,520as reported by BLS

Local price level

111.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$88,937US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $99,520 a year, 10.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $53,250 to $181,840 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 990 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Los Angeles, at $131,600.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Producers and Directors in San Diego, CA?

The median annual wage is $99,520, or $47.85 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 $90,360, so pay in San Diego, CA is 10.1% 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 $181,840 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $53,250 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 Los Angeles, at $131,600 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 990 jobs in this occupation in San Diego, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.

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.