Salaries in San Diego, CA
Average pay across 77 careers in San Diego, United States. Source figures are in USD.
Showing amounts in USD (USD default). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies
Pay index (United States)
118
100 = national average
Cost of living
100
100 = US national average
Metro population
1,404,452
Average salary by job in San Diego
| Job | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| RadiologistHealthcare | $611,000 | $50,900 |
| SurgeonHealthcare | $530,000 | $44,200 |
| PsychiatristHealthcare | $355,000 | $29,600 |
| PhysicianHealthcare | $319,000 | $26,600 |
| DentistHealthcare | $254,000 | $21,200 |
| AI EngineerTechnology | $236,000 | $19,700 |
| Cloud ArchitectTechnology | $234,000 | $19,500 |
| Corporate AttorneyLegal | $233,000 | $19,400 |
| Investment BankerFinance & Business | $228,000 | $19,000 |
| Machine Learning EngineerTechnology | $212,400 | $17,700 |
| Site Reliability EngineerTechnology | $204,000 | $17,000 |
| Product ManagerTechnology | $200,000 | $16,700 |
| LawyerLegal | $192,000 | $16,000 |
| Physician AssistantHealthcare | $191,000 | $15,900 |
| ActuaryFinance & Business | $189,000 | $15,800 |
| OptometristHealthcare | $186,000 | $15,500 |
| Aerospace EngineerEngineering | $185,000 | $15,400 |
| DevOps EngineerTechnology | $184,000 | $15,300 |
| Nurse PractitionerHealthcare | $183,000 | $15,300 |
| PharmacistHealthcare | $182,000 | $15,200 |
| Data EngineerTechnology | $177,000 | $14,800 |
| Management ConsultantFinance & Business | $177,000 | $14,800 |
| Full-Stack DeveloperTechnology | $173,000 | $14,400 |
| Backend DeveloperTechnology | $172,000 | $14,300 |
| Frontend DeveloperTechnology | $171,000 | $14,300 |
| Sales ManagerFinance & Business | $168,000 | $14,000 |
| Software EngineerTechnology | $160,000 | $13,300 |
| Cybersecurity AnalystTechnology | $153,400 | $12,800 |
| Data ScientistTechnology | $153,000 | $12,800 |
| VeterinarianHealthcare | $152,000 | $12,700 |
| School PrincipalEducation | $152,000 | $12,700 |
| Chemical EngineerEngineering | $150,000 | $12,500 |
| Electrical EngineerEngineering | $147,000 | $12,300 |
| UX DesignerTechnology | $146,000 | $12,200 |
| Marketing ManagerFinance & Business | $146,000 | $12,200 |
| Financial AdvisorFinance & Business | $146,000 | $12,200 |
| Project ManagerFinance & Business | $144,000 | $12,000 |
| Biomedical EngineerEngineering | $140,000 | $11,700 |
| ProfessorEducation | $137,000 | $11,400 |
| PsychologistHealthcare | $137,000 | $11,400 |
| Network EngineerTechnology | $136,000 | $11,300 |
| Database AdministratorTechnology | $136,000 | $11,300 |
| Operations ManagerFinance & Business | $136,000 | $11,300 |
| Mechanical EngineerEngineering | $135,000 | $11,300 |
| Physical TherapistHealthcare | $134,000 | $11,200 |
| QA EngineerTechnology | $133,000 | $11,100 |
| Industrial EngineerEngineering | $131,000 | $10,900 |
| Web DeveloperTechnology | $130,000 | $10,800 |
| Environmental EngineerEngineering | $129,000 | $10,800 |
| Civil EngineerEngineering | $128,000 | $10,700 |
| ArchitectCreative | $126,000 | $10,500 |
| Occupational TherapistHealthcare | $126,000 | $10,500 |
| Data AnalystTechnology | $125,000 | $10,400 |
| Financial AnalystFinance & Business | $124,000 | $10,300 |
| Business AnalystFinance & Business | $124,000 | $10,300 |
| HR ManagerFinance & Business | $120,000 | $10,000 |
| Dental HygienistHealthcare | $119,000 | $9,900 |
| Registered NurseHealthcare | $117,000 | $9,800 |
| Systems AdministratorTechnology | $116,000 | $9,700 |
| Real Estate AgentFinance & Business | $108,000 | $9,000 |
| RecruiterFinance & Business | $106,000 | $8,800 |
| AuditorFinance & Business | $105,000 | $8,800 |
| ChefSkilled Trades | $96,900 | $8,100 |
| CopywriterCreative | $94,500 | $7,900 |
| AccountantFinance & Business | $92,900 | $7,700 |
| PlumberSkilled Trades | $92,400 | $7,700 |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | $91,000 | $7,600 |
| Social Media ManagerCreative | $89,000 | $7,400 |
| HVAC TechnicianSkilled Trades | $87,700 | $7,300 |
| Video EditorCreative | $87,200 | $7,300 |
| ParalegalLegal | $85,900 | $7,200 |
| Graphic DesignerCreative | $85,100 | $7,100 |
| TeacherEducation | $80,500 | $6,700 |
| IT Support SpecialistTechnology | $79,000 | $6,600 |
| CarpenterSkilled Trades | $77,600 | $6,500 |
| PhotographerCreative | $75,100 | $6,300 |
| WelderSkilled Trades | $72,600 | $6,100 |
Frequently asked questions
- Are salaries high in San Diego, CA?
- San Diego, CA pays about 18% above the United States average across tracked roles.
- What is the cost of living in San Diego, CA?
- San Diego, CA has a cost-of-living index of 100, where 100 is the US national average. It is cheaper than that baseline.
- What is the highest-paying job in San Diego, CA?
- Of the roles we track, Radiologist leads in San Diego, CA at about $611,000 per year.
- How many careers have salary data for San Diego, CA?
- Pay by Role lists average pay for 77 careers in San Diego, CA, all shown in USD.
- How big is San Diego?
- San Diego has a population of about 1,404,452. Larger labour markets often support a wider spread of salaries across industries.
- How should I read salaries in San Diego, CA?
- Figures are estimates in USD, based on public labour-market data. Compare the city pay index (1.18) and cost-of-living index (100) together — high pay with high living costs can leave less real purchasing power.