Senior Database Administrator salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 16 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos.

Also listed as: DBA

Median salary$129,348
Middle 50%$113.1k–$151.7k
vs. all levels here−2%comparison median $132,591
Filings16FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $111,384 and $215,311.
PercentileSalary
10th$111,384
25th$113,069
50th (median)$129,348
75th$151,675
90th$186,156

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $115k $140k FY2020: median $107,697 (18 filings) FY2021: median $106,785 (14 filings) FY2023: median $120,314 (12 filings) FY2025: median $131,768 (13 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 18 filings FY20 FY2021: 14 filings FY21 FY2022: 7 filings FY22 FY2023: 12 filings FY23 FY2024: 7 filings FY24 FY2025: 13 filings FY25 FY2026: 3 filings FY26 18
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$107,697$99,486$114,92018
FY2021$106,785$102,268$141,16614
FY2022–––7
FY2023$120,314$101,546$147,48912
FY2024–––7
FY2025$131,768$111,384$157,00013
FY2026–––3

Cost of living

San Diego's median senior Database Administrator salary of $129,348 is worth about $115,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).

Compared with all workers here

All Database Administrators in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $106,820 in May 2025 (730 employed). The H-1B median here is $129,348, 21% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
ServiceNowtoo few3
Accenturetoo few2
EYtoo few2
E2 Consulting Engineerstoo few2
Sparksofttoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 2
Mid-level · Level II $93,500 30
Senior · Level III $129,348 16
Expert · Level IV $138,000 15

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$89,586$93,50030
Senior · Level III$111,384$129,34816
Expert · Level IV$135,949$138,00015

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.