Expert Electronics Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 332 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Del Mar, Santee, San Marcos, Poway.
Also listed as: Hardware Engineer, Hardware Engineer Electronics
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $166,941 |
| 25th | $166,941 |
| 50th (median) | $176,134 |
| 75th | $187,000 |
| 90th | $201,300 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $155,000 | $147,306 | $167,900 | 123 |
| FY2021 | $161,200 | $149,100 | $172,500 | 200 |
| FY2022 | $160,000 | $149,100 | $175,000 | 221 |
| FY2023 | $167,000 | $158,000 | $180,000 | 243 |
| FY2024 | $167,000 | $159,702 | $182,500 | 186 |
| FY2025 | $176,134 | $166,941 | $184,300 | 218 |
| FY2026 | $179,000 | $176,134 | $195,200 | 114 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median expert Electronics Engineer salary of $176,134 is worth about $157,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Electronics Engineers, Except Computer in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $156,480 in May 2025 (3,450 employed). The H-1B median here is $176,134, 13% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | $179,000 | 177 |
| Apple | $176,134 | 65 |
| Arm | $171,538 | 20 |
| NVIDIA | $196,000 | 11 |
| Psemi | $180,000 | 10 |
| Advanced Micro Devices | too few | 8 |
| MediaTek | too few | 8 |
| Broadcom | too few | 5 |
| Axiro Semiconductor | too few | 4 |
| Infineon Technologies Americas | 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 | $108,000 | 27 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $119,434 | 597 |
| Senior · Level III | $145,650 | 302 |
| Expert · Level IV | $176,134 | 332 |
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 | $105,269 | $108,000 | 27 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $119,434 | $119,434 | 597 |
| Senior · Level III | $143,187 | $145,650 | 302 |
| Expert · Level IV | $166,941 | $176,134 | 332 |
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.