Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 25 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Bonsall, La Jolla,, Oceanside.

Also listed as: Compliance Specialist

Median salary$114,691
Middle 50%$91.6k–$136.3k
vs. national median+29%comparison median $89,107
Filings25FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $61,543 and $199,000.
PercentileSalary
10th$74,506
25th$91,562
50th (median)$114,691
75th$136,300
90th$158,102

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $90k $120k FY2020: median $70,000 (11 filings) FY2021: median $81,027 (12 filings) FY2022: median $90,000 (25 filings) FY2023: median $96,264 (14 filings) FY2024: median $106,000 (10 filings) FY2025: median $95,781 (16 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 11 filings FY20 FY2021: 12 filings FY21 FY2022: 25 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 10 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 9 filings FY26 25
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$70,000$64,438$87,60011
FY2021$81,027$75,000$95,45812
FY2022$90,000$75,000$120,00025
FY2023$96,264$83,625$115,40014
FY2024$106,000$86,882$125,53610
FY2025$95,781$74,506$136,84816
FY2026–––9

Cost of living

San Diego's median Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary of $114,691 is worth about $102,500 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Regulatory Affairs Specialists in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $101,230 in May 2025 (6,120 employed). The H-1B median here is $114,691, 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.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Dexcomtoo few4
Alphatec Spinetoo few2
Neurocrine Biosciencestoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III $110,000 10
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Senior · Level III$96,845$110,00010

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.