San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · CBSA 41740
Electrical Engineer Salary in San Diego
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for electrical engineers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against California and the national benchmark.
Electrical Engineers in San Diego earn a median of $128,750 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $97,530–$165,710; the top 10% earn $209,470. That is 15% above the national median and 8% below the California median. BLS reports 2,200 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$128,750
+15% vs national
Top 10% earn
$209,470
90th percentile
Employed in metro
2,200
Reliability Good (7.9% RSE)
Electrical Engineer pay — San Diego vs California vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $79,550 | +7% |
| 25th percentile | $97,530 | +11% |
| Median50th percentile | $128,750 | +15% |
| 75th percentile | $165,710 | +17% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $209,470 | +19% |
| Meanaverage | $137,260 | +13% |
How concentrated electrical engineers are in San Diego
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
1.17
Jobs per 1,000
1.43
Metro rank (pay)
#21 of 318
All engineering roles
$139,762
San Diego employs electrical engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 1.17).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a electrical engineer make in San Diego?
Does San Diego pay more than the rest of California?
Where does San Diego rank nationally for electrical engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2071 (Electrical Engineers), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →