Senior Mechanical Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 59 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Chula Vista, San Marcos, Poway, Vista.
Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $119,392 |
| 25th | $126,000 |
| 50th (median) | $129,625 |
| 75th | $135,400 |
| 90th | $147,154 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $102,500 | $96,450 | $110,080 | 19 |
| FY2021 | $100,027 | $97,344 | $117,638 | 25 |
| FY2022 | $107,234 | $100,027 | $115,790 | 32 |
| FY2023 | $115,000 | $110,000 | $129,200 | 41 |
| FY2024 | $115,000 | $109,120 | $128,675 | 31 |
| FY2025 | $129,813 | $119,392 | $135,400 | 40 |
| FY2026 | $127,026 | $127,026 | $146,610 | 19 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median senior Mechanical Engineer salary of $129,625 is worth about $115,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Mechanical Engineers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $121,750 in May 2025 (3,370 employed). The H-1B median here is $129,625, 6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $135,400 | 17 |
| Asml | $123,209 | 10 |
| Source Engineering Services | too few | 4 |
| Cymer | too few | 3 |
| Aptera Motors | too few | 2 |
| Fabric8Labs | too few | 2 |
| Illumina | too few | 2 |
| PointPredictive | too few | 2 |
| YA Engineering Services | 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 | $97,719 | 17 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $108,430 | 61 |
| Senior · Level III | $129,625 | 59 |
| Expert · Level IV | $155,000 | 39 |
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 | $89,814 | $97,719 | 17 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,568 | $108,430 | 61 |
| Senior · Level III | $119,392 | $129,625 | 59 |
| Expert · Level IV | $138,216 | $155,000 | 39 |
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.