Software Engineer salary in San Diego
Employer-stated pay · updated Oct 22, 2026
Live software engineer jobs in San Diego All software engineer ranges Ann ArborAnnapolis JunctionArlingtonAtlantaAuroraAustin
Software Engineer pay in San Diego is measured from 35 postings where the employer stated pay. The best-evidenced figure is senior, where 21 postings put the middle half between $161,700 and $204,999, with a median of $183,500.
Pay rises with seniority here: the medians run mid-level $153,750 and senior $183,500. Moving from mid-level to senior is worth roughly 19% more.
Against the 64 other measured markets for software engineer at senior, this sits below 30 of them; Long Beach leads at $227,450.
51 software engineer roles are open in San Diego right now, 51 listing pay.
| Level | Market range | Median | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | $126,081 – $161,188 | $153,750 | 14 |
| Senior | $161,700 – $204,999 | $183,500 | 21 |
Entry is junior titles. Mid is mid-level and manager titles. Senior is senior titles. Lead is director, VP and above.
Ranges span the 25th to 75th percentile of employer-stated base pay for the level. Median is the 50th percentile. Sample is the number of postings measured.
Open software engineer roles in San Diego · 51 with stated pay
this job's paywhere most pay sits here, $125,000–$262,500scale $70,000–$370,000
Senior Software Engineer, Performance Turquoise · Remote · US New $172,000–$195,000 2d ago Senior Embedded Software Engineer Innoflight · San Diego $158,000–$210,000 3w ago Senior Robotics Software Engineer Monarch Quantum · San Diego $125,000–$175,000 3w ago Software Engineer 3 Monarch Quantum · San Diego $125,000–$175,000 3w ago 
Staff Software Engineer - Data Platform - Kubernetes - Distributed Systems - Federal ServiceNow · San Diego $149,800–$262,200 3w ago Principal Software Engineer ServiceNow · San Diego $199,100–$348,400 4w ago Staff Software Engineer ServiceNow · San Diego $149,800–$262,200 4w ago Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $87,100–$157,450 4w ago Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $107,900–$195,050 4w ago Staff Software Engineer ServiceNow · San Diego $149,800–$262,200 4w ago 
Senior Software Engineer 2 Drata · San Diego $157,500–$262,500 4w ago Senior Principal Robotics Software Engineer Monarch Quantum · San Diego $195,000–$235,000 4w ago Senior Principal Software Engineer Monarch Quantum · San Diego $195,000–$235,000 4w ago Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $87,100–$157,450 4w ago Software Engineer II, Frontend-leaning Turquoise · Remote · US $153,000–$170,000 5w ago Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $107,900–$195,050 5w ago Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $87,100–$157,450 5w ago Senior Software Engineer, Applications - Unmanned Aircraft Systems TrellisWare Technologies · San Diego $115,000–$200,000 5w ago 
Software Engineer - Collision Avoidance System Metrics Zoox · Foster City $185,000–$251,000 7w ago Embedded Software Engineer Leidos · San Diego $87,100–$157,450 7w ago Software Engineer – Mid-Career Leidos · San Diego $87,100–$157,450 8w ago 
Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities – Maritime (R5339) Shield AI · Boston $160,000–$240,000 8w ago Senior Embedded Software Engineer – RUST Innoflight · San Diego $170,000–$190,000 2mo ago Software Engineer, Embedded Linux TrellisWare Technologies · San Diego $115,000–$200,000 2mo ago Staff Software Engineer Illumina · San Diego $155,600–$233,400 2mo ago Senior Staff Software Engineer ServiceNow · Remote · US $171,900–$300,800 2mo ago Embedded Software Engineer - Battery Management Systems Zoox · San Diego $221,000–$265,000 2mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities – Space (R5338) Shield AI · Boston $160,000–$240,000 2mo ago Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities – Space (R5368) Shield AI · Boston $187,531–$281,297 2mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Emerging Domains (R5423) Shield AI · Washington $163,200–$244,800 3mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Expeditionary (R5208) Shield AI · Washington $163,200–$244,800 3mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Weapons (R5427) Shield AI · Washington $163,200–$244,800 3mo ago Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Emerging Domains (R5398) Shield AI · Washington $233,760–$350,640 3mo ago Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Weapons (R5398) Shield AI · Washington $233,760–$350,640 3mo ago Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Expeditionary (R5193) Shield AI · Washington $233,760–$350,640 3mo ago Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Emerging Domains (R5401) Shield AI · Washington $195,200–$292,800 3mo ago Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Expeditionary (R5208) Shield AI · Washington $195,200–$292,800 3mo ago Embedded Software Engineer - Power Systems Zoox · San Diego $164,000–$223,000 3mo ago Embedded Software Engineer Zoox · San Diego $164,000–$223,000 4mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5200) Shield AI · Washington $163,200–$244,800 4mo ago Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5193) Shield AI · Washington $233,760–$350,640 4mo ago Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5208) Shield AI · Washington $195,200–$292,800 4mo ago Senior Software Engineer Cohu Careers · San Diego $113,000–$170,000 4mo ago Software Engineer, Embedded Linux - Unmanned Aircraft Systems TrellisWare Technologies · San Diego $115,000–$200,000 4mo ago Software Engineer - Ride and Fleet Services Zoox · San Diego $172,000–$230,000 5mo ago Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4588) Shield AI · Boston $163,200–$244,800 5mo ago Software Engineer II, Autonomy Behaviors (R5202) Shield AI · Boston $131,921–$197,881 5mo ago Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4588) Shield AI · Boston $195,200–$292,800 5mo ago Sr. Vision Software Engineer Cohu Careers · San Diego $125,000–$140,000 6mo ago Software Engineer, Modem BSP TrellisWare Technologies · San Diego $115,000–$200,000 11mo ago 
Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government Palantir · San Diego $135,000–$200,000 1y ago