Senior Software Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 665 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Poway, San Marcos, La Jolla, Vista.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $152,027 |
| 25th | $152,027 |
| 50th (median) | $157,581 |
| 75th | $160,000 |
| 90th | $180,960 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,000 | $115,533 | $126,534 | 451 |
| FY2021 | $120,224 | $117,021 | $129,200 | 576 |
| FY2022 | $130,000 | $120,224 | $139,360 | 761 |
| FY2023 | $136,650 | $133,370 | $146,328 | 576 |
| FY2024 | $146,328 | $146,328 | $153,000 | 362 |
| FY2025 | $152,027 | $152,027 | $159,251 | 458 |
| FY2026 | $157,581 | $157,581 | $161,697 | 207 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median senior Software Engineer salary of $157,581 is worth about $140,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $163,270 in May 2025 (20,610 employed). The H-1B median here is $157,581, 3% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | $152,027 | 194 |
| Apple | $152,027 | 109 |
| Amazon | $176,800 | 32 |
| Asml | $157,581 | 23 |
| ServiceNow | $152,027 | 19 |
| Microsoft | $197,936 | 13 |
| Intuit | $157,581 | 12 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | $172,100 | 12 |
| Illumina | $152,027 | 11 |
| Cisco Systems | $155,791 | 10 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $115,000 | 197 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $130,187 | 965 |
| Senior · Level III | $157,581 | 665 |
| Expert · Level IV | $184,974 | 586 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $101,754 | $115,000 | 197 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $126,880 | $130,187 | 965 |
| Senior · Level III | $152,027 | $157,581 | 665 |
| Expert · Level IV | $177,154 | $184,974 | 586 |
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.