Systems Engineer San Diego, CA
Systems Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Typical pay
$139,600a year
Most Systems Engineers earn $108k to $164k a year
From 188 current job postings, updated Nov 11, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Systems Engineer salary in San Diego, CA is $139,600 a year. Most job postings pay $107,600 to $164,000. From 188 current job postings, updated Nov 11, 2026.
272 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by city in California
Back to the whole USCalifornia
$160k typical, most $130k to $192k
| San Jose, CA | $187k | $160k to $222k | 232 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $175k | $153k to $209k | 117 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $153k | $132k to $196k | 11 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $152k | $130k to $182k | 658 |
| Sacramento, CA | $150k | $134k to $165k | 12 |
| San Diego, CA | $140k | $108k to $164k | 188 |
| Oxnard, CA | $136k | $122k to $164k | 21 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $130k | $118k to $151k | 13 |
| El Centro, CA | – | – | 3 |
| Fresno, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Hanford, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Redding, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Riverside, CA | – | – | 5 |
| Salinas, CA | – | – | 1 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | – | – | 3 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | – | – | 5 |
| Stockton, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Vallejo, CA | – | – | 20 |
| Visalia, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Yuba City, CA | – | – | 1 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per year. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 0 job postings
Not enough postings yet (we show pay once 10 postings list it)
- Experienced 48 job postings$101k $155k
Typical: $114k
- Senior 88 job postings$142k $182k
Typical: $152k
- Lead or manager 20 job postings$143k $204k
Typical: $183k
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Systems Engineer job postings in San Diego, CA pay at it.
Senior: most postings pay $142k to $182k a year, typically $152k.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical yearly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
| Employer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viasat Inc | $183k | – | $173k | – | – |
How much does a Systems Engineer make in San Diego, CA?
Employers hiring now typically offer $139,600 a year for Systems Engineer roles in San Diego, CA. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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