Project Manager salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 77 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes El Cajon, Bonita, Poway, San Deigo, San Marcos.

Also listed as: Project Management Specialist, Project Coordinator

Median salary$120,700
Middle 50%$104.4k–$160k
vs. national median+1%comparison median $120,000
Filings77FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $70,231 and $235,200.
PercentileSalary
10th$91,894
25th$104,400
50th (median)$120,700
75th$160,000
90th$190,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $110k $130k FY2023: median $119,425 (21 filings) FY2024: median $100,738 (24 filings) FY2025: median $120,700 (39 filings) FY2026: median $119,550 (38 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 0 filings FY20 FY2021: 3 filings FY21 FY2022: 5 filings FY22 FY2023: 21 filings FY23 FY2024: 24 filings FY24 FY2025: 39 filings FY25 FY2026: 38 filings FY26 39
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–––0
FY2021–––3
FY2022–––5
FY2023$119,425$90,000$122,00021
FY2024$100,738$86,289$129,42324
FY2025$120,700$91,894$157,45539
FY2026$119,550$108,375$162,64638

Cost of living

San Diego's median Project Manager salary of $120,700 is worth about $107,900 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Project Management Specialists in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $117,460 in May 2025 (10,740 employed). The H-1B median here is $120,700, 3% higher.

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

EmployerMedianFilings
Intuit$162,80022
Asml$118,41312
Amazontoo few8
CoreDuxtoo few4
E2 Consulting Engineerstoo few3
Qualcommtoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 3
Mid-level · Level II $109,500 31
Senior · Level III $124,000 15
Expert · Level IV $187,700 18

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$94,702$109,50031
Senior · Level III$116,126$124,00015
Expert · Level IV$135,408$187,70018

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.