Entry-level Data Scientist salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 142 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, La Jolla, San Marcos, Poway, Oceanside.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $75,200 |
| 25th | $77,663 |
| 50th (median) | $82,500 |
| 75th | $92,030 |
| 90th | $110,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 3 |
| FY2022 | $78,387 | $61,859 | $104,000 | 16 |
| FY2023 | $77,586 | $72,447 | $81,309 | 38 |
| FY2024 | $78,900 | $77,022 | $85,000 | 65 |
| FY2025 | $82,500 | $77,542 | $85,299 | 80 |
| FY2026 | $84,740 | $81,574 | $102,600 | 62 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median entry-level Data Scientist salary of $82,500 is worth about $73,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $130,990 in May 2025 (2,830 employed). The H-1B median here is $82,500, 37% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Midland Credit Management | $82,500 | 42 |
| Amazon | $105,050 | 14 |
| MedWatchers | too few | 6 |
| AIcadium | too few | 4 |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | too few | 3 |
| VAStek | too few | 3 |
| 2Dot2 | too few | 2 |
| Axos Bank | too few | 2 |
| CGL Partners | too few | 2 |
| Fetch Rewards | 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 | $82,500 | 142 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,750 | 170 |
| Senior · Level III | $136,691 | 80 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,483 | 52 |
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 | $74,526 | $82,500 | 142 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $102,710 | $109,750 | 170 |
| Senior · Level III | $130,395 | $136,691 | 80 |
| Expert · Level IV | $159,099 | $160,483 | 52 |
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.