These figures are estimated from the national median for this role using a verified geographic cost-of-living multiplier for this metro area. Direct survey data is used where available.

Software Engineer Salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA (2026)

AI-integrated roles seeing consistent premiums.

Median Salary: $148,350

Range: $112K – $199K

CoL Tier: High · 3-Year Trend: +7.2% · Source: Built In; Motion (calculated)

Avg Total Comp

$180,550

Experience Level

Mid-level average $130k nationally; seniors reach $175k+ in Tier 1 metros.

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High Demand Track

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Compare Software Engineer in Other Markets

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA$174K San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley CA$187K New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ-PA$160K Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH$157K Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$155K Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$155K

Other Tech Salaries in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad CA

Senior Software Engineer$182K Machine Learning Engineer$186K AI Engineer$206K Product Manager$162K DevOps Engineer$151K QA Engineer$151K