Mid-level Data Scientist salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 170 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $102,710 |
| 25th | $103,958 |
| 50th (median) | $109,750 |
| 75th | $130,000 |
| 90th | $151,070 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2021 | $97,760 | $75,500 | $104,198 | 27 |
| FY2022 | $102,000 | $80,662 | $122,784 | 50 |
| FY2023 | $101,920 | $94,827 | $119,200 | 72 |
| FY2024 | $108,000 | $101,920 | $120,000 | 69 |
| FY2025 | $110,000 | $103,958 | $133,500 | 84 |
| FY2026 | $109,500 | $102,710 | $130,000 | 86 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median mid-level Data Scientist salary of $109,750 is worth about $98,100 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 $109,750, 16% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $144,000 | 17 |
| Qualcomm | $116,958 | 12 |
| Apple | too few | 5 |
| Cymer | too few | 4 |
| Icw Group Holdings | too few | 4 |
| Petco Animal Supplies Stores | too few | 4 |
| Sysintelli | too few | 4 |
| Kalpra Tech Solutions | too few | 3 |
| Persistent Systems | too few | 3 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | 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 | $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.