California

Living wage in La Jolla, California

Most of La Jolla is in San Diego County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $80.73 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$80.73/hrSan Diego County standard
At La Jolla's middle rent$80.73/hrstudio rent $2,190 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for San Diego County

Across the 5 ZIP codes in La Jolla with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,190 to $2,620 a month. At the middle rent, $2,190, a full-time job would need to pay $80.73 an hour before taxes.

ZIP codes in La Jolla

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
92037San Diego County$2,620/mo$99.03/hr
92038San Diego County$2,190/mo$80.73/hr
92039San Diego County$2,190/mo$80.73/hr
92092San Diego County$2,190/mo$80.73/hr
92093San Diego County$2,600/mo$98.25/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in La Jolla, California?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in La Jolla needs to pay at least $80.73 an hour before taxes, about $167,918 a year. That is the figure for San Diego County, where the typical studio rent is $2,190 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 5 ZIP codes in La Jolla with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,190 to $2,620 a month. At the middle rent of $2,190, the pay needed would be $80.73 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in San Diego County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 4.8 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads