Mid-level Validation Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 31 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes La Jolla, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Solana Beach.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $102,835 |
| 25th | $110,000 |
| 50th (median) | $121,000 |
| 75th | $155,000 |
| 90th | $155,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $92,697 | $92,394 | $94,973 | 26 |
| FY2021 | $95,290 | $94,890 | $100,000 | 24 |
| FY2022 | $100,555 | $98,904 | $108,118 | 38 |
| FY2023 | $102,000 | $95,434 | $119,866 | 15 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 3 |
| FY2025 | $120,000 | $110,000 | $130,000 | 17 |
| FY2026 | $155,000 | $121,313 | $155,000 | 14 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median mid-level Validation Engineer salary of $121,000 is worth about $108,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $132,790 in May 2025 (3,570 employed). The H-1B median here is $121,000, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Assured Robot Intelligence | too few | 9 |
| Brain | too few | 3 |
| Asml | too few | 2 |
| Cymer | too few | 2 |
| Smartsoc Solutions | 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 | too few | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $121,000 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $134,800 | 25 |
| Expert · Level IV | $166,600 | 11 |
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 | $102,835 | $121,000 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,030 | $134,800 | 25 |
| Expert · Level IV | $145,205 | $166,600 | 11 |
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.