Entry-level Biochemist salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 38 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes La Jolla, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Lo Jolla.

Median salary$75,171
Middle 50%$70.3k–$80k
vs. all levels here−8%comparison median $82,100
Filings38FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $61,706 and $97,436.
PercentileSalary
10th$68,640
25th$70,304
50th (median)$75,171
75th$80,000
90th$86,409

Salary by year

Median salary

$40k $65k $90k FY2020: median $55,500 (21 filings) FY2021: median $61,048 (27 filings) FY2022: median $64,282 (24 filings) FY2023: median $71,802 (11 filings) FY2024: median $68,401 (20 filings) FY2025: median $79,019 (20 filings) FY2026: median $74,586 (18 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 21 filings FY20 FY2021: 27 filings FY21 FY2022: 24 filings FY22 FY2023: 11 filings FY23 FY2024: 20 filings FY24 FY2025: 20 filings FY25 FY2026: 18 filings FY26 27
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$55,500$54,080$61,04821
FY2021$61,048$61,048$64,52227
FY2022$64,282$62,400$74,94324
FY2023$71,802$64,480$75,52011
FY2024$68,401$68,000$77,83420
FY2025$79,019$68,640$82,10020
FY2026$74,586$70,304$75,79318

Cost of living

San Diego's median entry-level Biochemist salary of $75,171 is worth about $67,200 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 $75,171, 38% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
The Scripps Research Institute$70,30413
The Salk Institute for Biological Studiestoo few4
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Researchtoo few2
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institutetoo few2
Tridix Biotoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$79,019$75,17138
Mid-level · Level II$60,590$81,14935
Senior · Level III$116,355$122,43218

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.