Highest-paying jobs in San Diego
The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.
Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.
While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.
The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.
Still, the exact positions that pay the most vary depending on where in the country you are located. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in San Diego. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2022, so jobs without annual compensation estimates available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $130,980
- Median hourly wage: $62.97
- Total employment: 1,550 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $131,400
- Median hourly wage: $63.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $131,970
- Median hourly wage: $63.45
- Total employment: 1,190 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $132,670
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $132,900
- Median hourly wage: $63.90
- Total employment: 3,690 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Mathematicians
- Median annual wage: $133,400
- Median hourly wage: $64.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $133,930
- Median hourly wage: $64.39
- Total employment: 580 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $134,050
- Median hourly wage: $64.45
- Total employment: 3,200 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $134,990
- Median hourly wage: $64.90
- Total employment: 400 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $135,230
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 420 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $135,310
- Median hourly wage: $65.05
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Engineering teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $137,490
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 340 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $137,620
- Median hourly wage: $66.16
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
- Median annual wage: $137,740
- Median hourly wage: $66.22
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $138,130
- Median hourly wage: $66.41
- Total employment: 17,380 people (11.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Physicists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $138,150
- Median hourly wage: $66.42
- Total employment: 200 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Computer and information research scientists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $138,150
- Median hourly wage: $66.42
- Total employment: 980 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $139,150
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $139,290
- Median hourly wage: $66.97
- Total employment: 160 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Education teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $139,780
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 520 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $142,070
- Median hourly wage: $68.31
- Total employment: 850 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $150,160
- Median hourly wage: $72.19
- Total employment: 2,290 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $150,480
- Median hourly wage: $72.35
- Total employment: 9,540 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $154,980
- Median hourly wage: $74.51
- Total employment: 400 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $155,460
- Median hourly wage: $74.74
- Total employment: 2,740 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $157,150
- Median hourly wage: $75.56
- Total employment: 2,030 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $157,170
- Median hourly wage: $75.56
- Total employment: 8,040 people (5.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $163,560
- Median hourly wage: $78.64
- Total employment: 4,100 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $168,240
- Median hourly wage: $80.89
- Total employment: 4,480 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $168,360
- Median hourly wage: $80.94
- Total employment: 7,900 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Economics teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $169,980
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $171,070
- Median hourly wage: $82.25
- Total employment: 3,950 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $171,340
- Median hourly wage: $82.38
- Total employment: 7,370 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $181,380
- Median hourly wage: $87.20
- Total employment: 2,920 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Commercial divers
- Median annual wage: $182,000
- Median hourly wage: $87.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $209,530
- Median hourly wage: $100.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. General internal medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $212,710
- Median hourly wage: $102.27
- Total employment: Not available
#13. Pediatricians, general
- Median annual wage: $213,940
- Median hourly wage: $102.86
- Total employment: 190 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
- Median annual wage: $223,830
- Median hourly wage: $107.61
- Total employment: 150 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Family medicine physicians
- Median annual wage: $225,850
- Median hourly wage: $108.58
- Total employment: Not available
#10. Chief executives
- Median annual wage: $232,860
- Median hourly wage: $111.95
- Total employment: 2,830 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#9. Obstetricians and gynecologists
- Median annual wage: $238,550
- Median hourly wage: $114.69
- Total employment: 190 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Dentists, all other specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 90 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Cardiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 160 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 630 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 470 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Radiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 2,460 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: Exact median salary unknown; at least $239,200 per year or $115 per hour
- Total employment: 310 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
