Systems Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 69 certified H-1B filings in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Poway, Carlsbad.
Median salary$119,434
Middle 50%$112.3k–$139.1k
vs. national median+7%comparison median $111,112
Filings69FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,400 |
| 25th | $112,321 |
| 50th (median) | $119,434 |
| 75th | $139,145 |
| 90th | $156,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,971 | $95,404 | $125,000 | 42 |
| FY2021 | $110,000 | $106,000 | $128,835 | 39 |
| FY2022 | $106,000 | $101,192 | $120,058 | 51 |
| FY2023 | $104,562 | $104,562 | $124,405 | 46 |
| FY2024 | $112,882 | $111,769 | $131,571 | 40 |
| FY2025 | $118,612 | $105,872 | $133,916 | 54 |
| FY2026 | $136,989 | $123,219 | $143,573 | 15 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median Systems Engineer salary of $119,434 is worth about $106,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm | $128,898 | 29 |
| California Creative Solutions | $62,400 | 11 |
| Maxlinear | too few | 5 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | too few | 3 |
| Gamma Scientific | too few | 2 |
| Geekplus America | too few | 2 |
| Invences | too few | 2 |
| Kneron | too few | 2 |
| ServiceNow | 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 | $62,400 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $123,940 | 18 |
| Senior · Level III | $143,187 | 18 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 3 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.