Engineering Director salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 78 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Poway, La Jolla.
Also listed as: Architectural and Engineering Manager, Manager Hardware Engineering
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $141,024 |
| 25th | $154,550 |
| 50th (median) | $172,882 |
| 75th | $215,134 |
| 90th | $220,542 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $136,843 | $168,000 | 29 |
| FY2021 | $157,300 | $138,864 | $190,755 | 27 |
| FY2022 | $175,000 | $142,000 | $195,395 | 73 |
| FY2023 | $165,000 | $147,000 | $203,736 | 55 |
| FY2024 | $181,563 | $148,000 | $208,395 | 45 |
| FY2025 | $170,000 | $154,850 | $208,365 | 48 |
| FY2026 | $181,382 | $158,113 | $220,542 | 30 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Engineering Director salary of $172,882 is worth about $154,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Architectural and Engineering Managers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $202,810 in May 2025 (3,270 employed). The H-1B median here is $172,882, 15% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | $154,400 | 23 |
| Apple | too few | 9 |
| Asml | too few | 5 |
| Becton, Dickinson and Company | too few | 5 |
| Arm | too few | 3 |
| Illumina | too few | 3 |
| Mango Technologies | too few | 3 |
| Intel | too few | 2 |
| Axiro Semiconductor | too few | 2 |
| Burns & McDonnell Western Enterprises | 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 | too few | 3 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $169,250 | 21 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 2 |
| Expert · Level IV | $220,542 | 18 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $169,250 | $169,250 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $215,134 | $220,542 | 18 |
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.