Mid-level Sales Engineer salary in San Diego, CA

Based on 17 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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$120,000
Middle 50%$106.5k–$154k
vs. all levels here−21%comparison median $152,173
Filings17FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $103,397 and $188,400.
PercentileSalary
10th$105,282
25th$106,538
50th (median)$120,000
75th$154,000
90th$178,475

Cost of living

San Diego's median mid-level Sales Engineer salary of $120,000 is worth about $107,300 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 $120,000, 2% lower.

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

EmployerMedianFilings
ServiceNowtoo few3
Siemenstoo few2
Anritsu Companytoo few2
Striimtoo 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 $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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$103,397$120,00017
Expert · Level IV$154,835$154,83522

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.