Entry-level Architect salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 12 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes La Jolla.
Also listed as: Project Architect, Architect Non Licensed
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $71,000 |
| 25th | $74,000 |
| 50th (median) | $84,755 |
| 75th | $89,750 |
| 90th | $132,809 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median entry-level Architect salary of $84,755 is worth about $75,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $120,040 in May 2025 (1,280 employed). The H-1B median here is $84,755, 29% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Delawie | too few | 2 |
| HDR Architecture | too few | 2 |
| SmithGroup, Inc., subsidiary of SmithGroup | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $84,755 | 12 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $70,699 | $84,755 | 12 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.