SOC 51-2031 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers Salary in San Diego, CA

The average salary for engine and other machine assemblers in San Diego, California is $52,430 a year ($25.21 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $51,040: half of the 120 people in this job in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($57,790).

$52,430average per year

$25.21 / hourMedian $51,040Take-home ≈ $42,969

  • $39K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

120people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3California metros
112cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Engine and Other Machine Assemblers pay range in San Diego

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,850 or more. The middle half of engine and other machine assemblers in San Diego earn between $46,700 and $61,440.

  • $39K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,430$4,369$25.21
Median$51,040$4,253$24.54
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,700$3,892$22.45
Experienced (75th percentile)$61,440$5,120$29.54

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers pay in San Diego vs. California and the U.S.

Engine and other machine assemblers in San Diego earn about the same as the California average ($53,010) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($57,790). At the median the gap is -5% against the U.S. median of $53,710.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Diego$52,430$51,040$39,280$68,850120
California$53,010$46,810$36,080$73,9901,170
United States$57,790$53,710$38,500$77,75034,000

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers salary after taxes in San Diego

On the average salary of $52,430, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $42,969 a year, or $3,581 a month and $1,653 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is San Diego a good place for engine and other machine assemblers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $52,430 buys what about $46,860 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 18.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,430 is worth in another city

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers salary in other California cities

San Diego ranks 1st of 3 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Engine and Other Machine Assemblers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for engine and other machine assemblers

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($95,210).

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers salary by city

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Engine and Other Machine Assemblers salary in San Diego: questions

How much do engine and other machine assemblers make an hour in San Diego?

$25.21 an hour on average, and $24.54 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level engine and other machine assemblers salary in San Diego?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,700, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the engine and other machine assemblers take-home pay in San Diego?

About $42,969 a year ($3,581 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,430. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do engine and other machine assemblers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($57,790).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-2031; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.35, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.35).

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