Software Developers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,420 a year or less, while the top 10% make $223,260 or more. The middle half of software developers in San Diego earn between $128,590 and $193,980.
- $95K10th
- $129K25th
- $163KMedian
- $194K75th
- $223K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $163,300 | $13,608 | $78.51 |
| Median | $163,270 | $13,606 | $78.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $128,590 | $10,716 | $61.82 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $193,980 | $16,165 | $93.26 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Software Developers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $163,300, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $111,787 a year, or $9,316 a month and $4,299 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 software developers? 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 $163,300 buys what about $145,951 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 5.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Software Developers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 4th of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($221,710).
- San Jose$221,710
- San Francisco$193,430
- Oxnard$174,020
- San Diego$163,300
- Los Angeles$161,900
- Santa Maria$158,220
- San Luis Obispo$155,770
- Napa$154,740
- Santa Cruz$153,930
- Bakersfield$153,610
Highest-paying cities for software developers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).
- San Jose, CA$221,710
- San Francisco, CA$193,430
- Seattle, WA$174,920
- Oxnard, CA$174,020
- Boulder, CO$166,480
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Software Developers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do software developers make an hour in San Diego?
$78.51 an hour on average, and $78.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level software developers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $95,420 a year and the 25th percentile is $128,590, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the software developers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $111,787 a year ($9,316 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $163,300. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do software developers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).
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 15-1252; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
- 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 1.23, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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