San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · CBSA 41740
Mechanical Engineer Salary in San Diego
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for mechanical 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.
Mechanical Engineers in San Diego earn a median of $128,660 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $101,590–$142,470; the top 10% earn $170,840. That is 26% above the national median and 2% above the California median. BLS reports 3,320 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$128,660
+26% vs national
Top 10% earn
$170,840
90th percentile
Employed in metro
3,320
Reliability Good (8.7% RSE)
Mechanical 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 | $84,120 | +22% |
| 25th percentile | $101,590 | +24% |
| Median50th percentile | $128,660 | +26% |
| 75th percentile | $142,470 | +9% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $170,840 | +6% |
| Meanaverage | $127,210 | +16% |
How concentrated mechanical 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
1.16
Jobs per 1,000
2.17
Metro rank (pay)
#7 of 342
All engineering roles
$139,762
San Diego employs mechanical engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 1.16).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mechanical engineer make in San Diego?
Does San Diego pay more than the rest of California?
Where does San Diego rank nationally for mechanical engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical 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 →