Physicist salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 18 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes La Jolla.
Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $77,134 |
| 25th | $80,166 |
| 50th (median) | $98,600 |
| 75th | $138,165 |
| 90th | $199,205 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $92,200 | $83,200 | $115,368 | 15 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2022 | $91,000 | $79,300 | $112,000 | 17 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2024 | $80,998 | $78,033 | $102,098 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $113,158 | $78,540 | $137,298 | 10 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 8 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Physicist salary of $98,600 is worth about $88,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Physicists in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $156,480 in May 2025 (290 employed). The H-1B median here is $98,600, 37% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| University Of California, San Diego | too few | 8 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 2 |
| Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.