Computer Hardware Engineers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $122,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $227,940 or more. The middle half of computer hardware engineers in San Diego earn between $133,890 and $218,150.
- $123K10th
- $134K25th
- $174KMedian
- $218K75th
- $228K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $177,800 | $14,817 | $85.48 |
| Median | $174,440 | $14,537 | $83.87 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $133,890 | $11,158 | $64.37 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $218,150 | $18,179 | $104.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Computer Hardware Engineers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $177,800, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $120,349 a year, or $10,029 a month and $4,629 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for computer hardware engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $177,800 buys what about $158,910 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.0 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Computer Hardware Engineers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 3rd of 9 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($208,700).
- San Jose$208,700
- San Francisco$198,010
- San Diego$177,800
- Los Angeles$164,390
- Santa Cruz$159,600
- Santa Maria$154,060
- Riverside$143,240
- Oxnard$129,860
- Bakersfield$127,700
Highest-paying cities for computer hardware engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($208,700).
- San Jose, CA$208,700
- San Francisco, CA$198,010
- Allentown, PA$188,740
- Durham, NC$185,400
- Seattle, WA$180,820
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Computer Hardware Engineers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do computer hardware engineers make an hour in San Diego?
$85.48 an hour on average, and $83.87 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level computer hardware engineers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $122,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $133,890, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the computer hardware engineers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $120,349 a year ($10,029 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $177,800. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do computer hardware engineers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($164,979).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2061; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 4.39, this job is 4.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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