Software Developers salary
in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Software Developers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earn a median of $163,270 a year, based on BLS estimates for 20,610 jobs (May 2025). That is 20% above the U.S. median of $135,980 and 6% below the CA statewide median of $174,410. It ranks #7 of 339 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE20,610 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
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EMPLOYERS FILING FOR THIS JOB IN SAN DIEGO · VISA-SPONSORED BASE WAGES
Median of each employer’s DOL LCA filings (5+ filings) in this metro, FY2026 Q3. Covers sponsored positions only.
- NVIDIA$236,237 · 8 filings
- Cisco Systems$216,700 · 7 filings
- Intuit$212,802 · 24 filings
- Illumina$212,400 · 10 filings
- GoFundMe$208,134 · 5 filings
- Google$203,000 · 9 filings
- Dexcom$191,500 · 5 filings
- Sony Interactive Entertainment$187,600 · 13 filings
- Apple$183,840 · 177 filings
- Specs$180,290 · 11 filings
- Qualcomm Technologies$175,724 · 195 filings
- MediaTek USA$174,790 · 8 filings
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS PAY IN OTHER CA METROS
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAmedian $213,110
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CAmedian $186,640
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAmedian $160,920
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CAmedian $159,430
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CAmedian $158,290
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CAmedian $156,910
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CAmedian $148,630
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CAmedian $139,640
Questions
What is the average Software Developers salary in San Diego?
The BLS median is $163,270 a year (May 2025). Half of the 20,610 jobs pay between $128,590 and $193,980. The 10th percentile is $95,420 and the 90th is $223,260.
Is San Diego a high-paying metro for Software Developers?
That is 20% above the U.S. median of $135,980 and 6% below the CA statewide median of $174,410. It ranks #7 of 339 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Which employers pay Software Developers the most in San Diego?
Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were NVIDIA ($236,237), Cisco Systems ($216,700), Intuit ($212,802). These are base wages for sponsored positions, not all employees.
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.