Data Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 39 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Vista, Valley Center, Chula Vista.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $121,368 |
| 25th | $126,221 |
| 50th (median) | $144,622 |
| 75th | $169,000 |
| 90th | $187,386 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $82,909 | $73,424 | $114,269 | 10 |
| FY2021 | $101,206 | $89,170 | $118,106 | 12 |
| FY2022 | $120,224 | $101,150 | $133,359 | 13 |
| FY2023 | $130,998 | $105,218 | $150,000 | 26 |
| FY2024 | $130,998 | $101,566 | $141,725 | 22 |
| FY2025 | $144,622 | $123,448 | $151,600 | 17 |
| FY2026 | $131,884 | $127,831 | $183,876 | 22 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Data Engineer salary of $144,622 is worth about $129,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Architects in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $156,800 in May 2025 (390 employed). The H-1B median here is $144,622, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| BackOffice Associates, LLC d/b/a Syniti | too few | 2 |
| California Coast Credit Union | too few | 2 |
| Epsilon Data Management | too few | 2 |
| Perficient | too few | 2 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | too few | 2 |
| Teradata Operations | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $129,000 | 15 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $123,448 | $129,000 | 15 |
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.