Software Engineer salary in San Luis Obispo, CA

Based on 25 certified H-1B filings in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Atascadero.

Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE

Median salary$152,800
Middle 50%$138.9k–$179.2k
vs. national median+10%comparison median $139,194
Filings25FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $102,358 and $192,144.
PercentileSalary
10th$115,864
25th$138,924
50th (median)$152,800
75th$179,200
90th$182,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$80k $135k $190k FY2020: median $88,910 (22 filings) FY2021: median $91,559 (15 filings) FY2022: median $90,002 (14 filings) FY2023: median $123,500 (22 filings) FY2024: median $152,027 (14 filings) FY2025: median $144,200 (13 filings) FY2026: median $174,600 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 22 filings FY20 FY2021: 15 filings FY21 FY2022: 14 filings FY22 FY2023: 22 filings FY23 FY2024: 14 filings FY24 FY2025: 13 filings FY25 FY2026: 12 filings FY26 22
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$88,910$66,250$119,67522
FY2021$91,559$62,542$98,30815
FY2022$90,002$89,648$131,80014
FY2023$123,500$94,224$143,07822
FY2024$152,027$113,200$168,40514
FY2025$144,200$116,000$152,80013
FY2026$174,600$164,750$182,00012

Cost of living

San Luis Obispo's median Software Engineer salary of $152,800 is worth about $140,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Luis Obispo = 108.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Software Developers in the San Luis Obispo, CA area earned a median of $135,020 in May 2025 (520 employed). The H-1B median here is $152,800, 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
Amazon$170,00020

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 4
Mid-level · Level II $170,000 13
Senior · Level III too few 5
Expert · Level IV – 0

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$115,773$170,00013

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.