Jobs, pay and daily life in Carlsbad, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Carlsbad is a city in California with 114,373 residents. The median household earns $142,748 a year and the median rent is $2,808 a month, which is 23.6% of the median household income. It is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,538,060 jobs.
How Carlsbad compares. Among the 145 places in California, Carlsbad is #56 by population, #17 for remote work (#1 = most), #23 for college degrees (#1 = most), #119 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, San Diego County, is #8 of 58 counties for average pay ($82,854).
Carlsbad has 114,373 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of California. It covers 38 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,025 people per square mile. The median age is 42.5, 12% older than the state median (42.5 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $2,808 a month (rent plus utilities), 38% above the state median ($2,808 against $2,036). Over a year that is 23.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,257,000, which is 8.8 times the median household income ($142,748); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 62.9% of households own their home, 13% above the state average (62.9% against 55.9%).
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area has 1,538,060 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $58,690 a year, 15% above the national median ($58,690 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (161,910 jobs, median $38,840); office and administrative support (155,940 jobs, median $52,940); sales and related (124,550 jobs, median $44,010). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (1.7 times) and architecture and engineering (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,440) and computer and mathematical ($129,520). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of San Diego County was 4.7%. 63.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in San Diego County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 59.6% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 1.3% walk, 31.9% work from home. 16.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 14% below the state average (16.6% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
62.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 67% above the state share (62.1% against 37.1%). 14.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 48% below the state share (14.1% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 6.9%, 43% below the state rate (6.9% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 71°F (21.4°C), and the coolest is Feb at 58°F (14.3°C). About 314 mm (12 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Feb is the wettest month (69 mm) and Aug the driest (3 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Vista (5 miles, rent 20% lower); San Marcos (7 miles, rent 16% lower); Oceanside (7 miles, rent 18% lower); Escondido (12 miles, rent 27% lower). Rent differences are against Carlsbad; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,717) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideSan Diego CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,717 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 57,080 | 1.34 | $35,300 | $34,940 | $40,850 | -1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 42,550 | 1.12 | $42,190 | $35,510 | $47,200 | +35% |
| Retail Salespersons | 34,390 | 0.89 | $37,810 | $35,470 | $49,320 | +7% |
| Cashiers | 30,420 | 1.00 | $37,020 | $35,090 | $49,070 | +13% |
| Registered Nurses | 28,680 | 0.86 | $139,520 | $102,480 | $175,210 | +43% |
| Office Clerks, General | 28,470 | 1.17 | $49,920 | $36,410 | $64,000 | +11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 26,230 | 0.76 | $119,600 | $58,370 | $267,090 | +13% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 24,050 | 1.07 | $35,850 | $34,820 | $82,800 | +2% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 21,950 | 0.75 | $43,320 | $36,420 | $57,980 | +8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 21,700 | 0.99 | $38,450 | $35,580 | $51,260 | +4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 21,220 | 0.76 | $39,160 | $36,040 | $55,120 | +5% |
| Software Developers | 20,610 | 1.23 | $163,270 | $95,420 | $223,260 | +20% |
| Security Guards | 16,090 | 1.27 | $38,500 | $36,090 | $53,310 | +1% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 15,690 | 1.46 | $96,580 | $49,590 | $160,570 | +16% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 15,670 | 1.12 | $46,440 | $37,840 | $51,820 | +24% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 14,030 | 0.55 | $48,730 | $37,710 | $72,170 | +9% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 13,450 | 0.94 | $96,340 | $62,520 | $157,720 | +15% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 13,260 | 0.94 | $46,440 | $36,540 | $56,870 | +26% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 12,920 | 1.07 | $46,980 | $37,910 | $72,700 | +7% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 12,830 | 0.94 | $58,580 | $40,220 | $82,350 | +16% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 4,200 | 1.24 | $323,050 | $123,770 | $391,440 | +21% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,360 | 1.28 | $295,530 | $149,290 | $493,980 | +21% |
| Pediatricians, General | 630 | 1.62 | $262,650 | $158,110 | $358,320 | +25% |
| Chief Executives | 2,710 | 1.34 | $238,440 | $85,510 | $493,480 | +11% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,890 | 2.69 | $207,200 | $132,560 | $319,260 | +24% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 7,250 | 1.09 | $206,740 | $127,840 | $304,530 | +18% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 3,270 | 1.50 | $202,810 | $134,660 | $283,130 | +18% |
| Lawyers | 8,020 | 1.07 | $178,220 | $104,140 | $336,590 | +12% |
| Marketing Managers | 3,790 | 0.97 | $174,840 | $99,510 | $305,740 | +5% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 3,330 | 4.39 | $174,440 | $122,910 | $227,940 | +8% |
| Financial Managers | 7,350 | 0.88 | $174,210 | $100,950 | $326,930 | +5% |
| Managers, All Other | 9,370 | 1.52 | $169,240 | $98,390 | $276,310 | +19% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,370 | 0.86 | $165,160 | $109,750 | $214,570 | +22% |
| Pharmacists | 2,840 | 0.89 | $165,130 | $131,400 | $214,480 | +17% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,340 | 0.73 | $163,860 | $131,380 | $215,640 | +24% |
| Software Developers | 20,610 | 1.23 | $163,270 | $95,420 | $223,260 | +20% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 2,370 | 0.73 | $163,200 | $102,670 | $201,970 | +54% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,300 | 1.05 | $163,190 | $97,050 | $282,400 | +9% |
| Veterinarians | 1,080 | 1.30 | $159,750 | $67,540 | $276,230 | +23% |
| Purchasing Managers | 680 | 0.82 | $158,620 | $99,470 | $226,910 | +7% |
These figures are for the whole San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $58,690 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 21.4% |
| Education and health care | 18.4% |
| Manufacturing | 11.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.5% |
| Retail trade | 9.0% |
| Construction | 4.2% |
| Other services | 3.7% |
| Information | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 3.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Carlsbad lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County | 3,288,774 | $331,868 million | $100,909 | 1,536,541 | 133,031 | $82,854 | +0.7% | 4.7% | 1,656,661 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 222,467 | 17.2% | $66,856 | 1.01 |
| Accommodation and food services | 170,776 | 13.2% | $35,930 | 1.22 |
| Professional and technical services | 148,122 | 11.5% | $152,586 | 1.39 |
| Retail trade | 136,918 | 10.6% | $45,583 | 0.89 |
| Manufacturing | 111,940 | 8.7% | $118,398 | 0.89 |
| Administrative and waste services | 90,817 | 7.0% | $61,696 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 89,940 | 7.0% | $84,397 | 1.12 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 55,358 | 4.3% | $47,853 | 1.20 |
| Wholesale trade | 42,060 | 3.3% | $104,791 | 0.69 |
| Finance and insurance | 39,962 | 3.1% | $140,712 | 0.64 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 36,073 | 2.8% | $67,324 | 0.55 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 31,213 | 2.4% | $54,796 | 1.21 |
| Real estate and rental | 30,346 | 2.4% | $81,435 | 1.27 |
| Educational services | 28,030 | 2.2% | $54,284 | 0.88 |
| Management of companies | 21,739 | 1.7% | $136,606 | 0.84 |
| Information | 19,962 | 1.5% | $171,028 | 0.69 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 9,071 | 0.7% | $50,077 | 0.73 |
| Utilities | 5,792 | 0.4% | $168,212 | 0.99 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 327 | 0.0% | $100,751 | 0.06 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 59.6% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 31.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 16.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $142,748 |
| Income per person | $72,390 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,808 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.6% |
| Median home value | $1,257,000 |
| Homeowners | 62.9% |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 111.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $58,690 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 62.1% |
| Born abroad | 14.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.7 | 58 | 59 |
| Feb | 14.3 | 58 | 69 |
| Mar | 14.8 | 59 | 33 |
| Apr | 15.4 | 60 | 21 |
| May | 16.5 | 62 | 8 |
| Jun | 18.0 | 64 | 4 |
| Jul | 20.6 | 69 | 4 |
| Aug | 21.4 | 71 | 3 |
| Sep | 21.4 | 71 | 5 |
| Oct | 19.6 | 67 | 17 |
| Nov | 17.3 | 63 | 28 |
| Dec | 14.8 | 59 | 63 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista | CA | 5 mi | 99,114 | $94,975 | $2,249 |
| San Marcos | CA | 7 mi | 94,882 | $109,377 | $2,348 |
| Oceanside | CA | 7 mi | 172,242 | $97,737 | $2,303 |
| Escondido | CA | 12 mi | 149,668 | $91,967 | $2,046 |
| San Diego | CA | 23 mi | 1,389,526 | $108,077 | $2,313 |
| Temecula | CA | 27 mi | 111,167 | $121,063 | $2,347 |
| El Cajon | CA | 29 mi | 104,449 | $67,511 | $1,856 |
| Murrieta | CA | 31 mi | 112,064 | $114,081 | $2,388 |
| Chula Vista | CA | 38 mi | 276,375 | $108,032 | $2,229 |
| Menifee | CA | 39 mi | 110,305 | $93,454 | $2,110 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
114,373 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,808 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.6% of the median household income.
$142,748 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.7% (BLS county, San Diego County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.