Biochemist salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 152 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes La Jolla, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Lo Jolla.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $70,304 |
| 25th | $77,795 |
| 50th (median) | $82,100 |
| 75th | $105,005 |
| 90th | $131,970 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $64,000 | $59,580 | $73,138 | 94 |
| FY2021 | $66,600 | $61,048 | $77,900 | 130 |
| FY2022 | $69,422 | $64,000 | $85,000 | 121 |
| FY2023 | $73,156 | $69,385 | $90,480 | 112 |
| FY2024 | $79,300 | $74,935 | $101,442 | 119 |
| FY2025 | $82,100 | $78,000 | $101,442 | 76 |
| FY2026 | $82,836 | $75,171 | $116,355 | 76 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Biochemist salary of $82,100 is worth about $73,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $121,740 in May 2025 (710 employed). The H-1B median here is $82,100, 33% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| University Of California, San Diego | $82,100 | 52 |
| The Scripps Research Institute | $78,000 | 29 |
| Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research | too few | 7 |
| Gilead Sciences | too few | 5 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | too few | 4 |
| The Salk Institute for Biological Studies | too few | 4 |
| Genomatica | too few | 3 |
| Illumina | too few | 3 |
| Neurocrine Biosciences | too few | 3 |
| Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $75,171 | 38 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $81,149 | 35 |
| Senior · Level III | $122,432 | 18 |
| 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 | $79,019 | $75,171 | 38 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $60,590 | $81,149 | 35 |
| Senior · Level III | $116,355 | $122,432 | 18 |
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.