Expert Sales Engineer salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 22 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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

Median salary$154,835

Middle 50%$152.4k–$185.3k

vs. all levels here+2%comparison median $152,173

Filings22FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

All levels here

$140k$150k$160k$170k$180k$190k$200k$210k

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $152,173 and $200,099.

Percentile	Salary
10th	$152,173
25th	$152,423
50th (median)	$154,835
75th	$185,300
90th	$198,665

Salary by year

Median salary

Filings per year

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 year	Median	P25	P75	Filings
FY2020	$128,103	$124,592	$141,320	12
FY2021	–	–	–	9
FY2022	–	–	–	7
FY2023	$162,000	$135,824	$182,000	13
FY2024	–	–	–	3
FY2025	$152,672	$152,173	$162,969	12
FY2026	$154,835	$154,835	$189,600	10

Cost of living

San Diego's median expert Sales Engineer salary of $154,835 is worth about $138,400 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 $154,835, 26% 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
ServiceNow	too few	6
Microsoft	too few	4
Cadence Design Systems	too few	2
Keysight Technologies	too few	2
Xilinx	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.