Senior Data Scientist salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 80 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $130,395 |
| 25th | $130,915 |
| 50th (median) | $136,691 |
| 75th | $151,346 |
| 90th | $172,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2022 | $130,000 | $117,187 | $150,000 | 25 |
| FY2023 | $131,500 | $124,515 | $142,600 | 37 |
| FY2024 | $140,000 | $130,000 | $159,600 | 29 |
| FY2025 | $136,936 | $130,395 | $157,150 | 50 |
| FY2026 | $135,500 | $130,915 | $145,750 | 30 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median senior Data Scientist salary of $136,691 is worth about $122,200 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 $136,691, 4% higher.
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 | too few | 6 |
| Apple | too few | 5 |
| Intuit | too few | 4 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | too few | 4 |
| Asml | too few | 3 |
| Illumina | too few | 3 |
| CVS Health | too few | 2 |
| Dexcom | too few | 2 |
| GoFundMe | too few | 2 |
| Namo Technologies | 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.