Sales Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 50 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Poway, La Jolla, Escondido.
Also listed as: Solutions Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $106,538 |
| 25th | $127,774 |
| 50th (median) | $152,173 |
| 75th | $155,428 |
| 90th | $190,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $114,728 | $94,240 | $129,734 | 34 |
| FY2021 | $121,166 | $92,810 | $138,320 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $126,907 | $94,328 | $146,250 | 24 |
| FY2023 | $135,824 | $111,613 | $176,100 | 30 |
| FY2024 | $124,865 | $95,113 | $153,175 | 14 |
| FY2025 | $152,173 | $120,000 | $154,000 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $154,835 | $130,686 | $177,458 | 25 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Sales Engineer salary of $152,173 is worth about $136,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Sales Engineers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $122,610 in May 2025 (360 employed). The H-1B median here is $152,173, 24% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| ServiceNow | $141,430 | 12 |
| Microsoft | too few | 4 |
| too few | 2 | |
| Siemens | too few | 2 |
| Anritsu Company | too few | 2 |
| Autodesk | too few | 2 |
| Cadence Design Systems | too few | 2 |
| Keysight Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics | too few | 2 |
| Striim | 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 | $120,000 | 17 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 3 |
| Expert · Level IV | $154,835 | 22 |
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 | $103,397 | $120,000 | 17 |
| Expert · Level IV | $154,835 | $154,835 | 22 |
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.