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1 / 50#50. Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $136,970
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 140 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in San Diego
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in San Diego. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $137,990
- Median hourly wage: $66.34
- Total employment: 390 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
possohh // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Emergency management directors
- Median annual wage: $138,970
- Median hourly wage: $66.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PanuShot // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $139,220
- Median hourly wage: $66.93
- Total employment: 160 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $139,860
- Median hourly wage: $67.24
- Total employment: 630 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $144,560
- Median hourly wage: $69.50
- Total employment: 570 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Psychologists, all other
- Median annual wage: $146,350
- Median hourly wage: $70.36
- Total employment: 240 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $147,340
- Median hourly wage: $70.84
- Total employment: 890 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $151,190
- Median hourly wage: $72.69
- Total employment: 200 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $153,110
- Median hourly wage: $73.61
- Total employment: 3,690 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $153,530
- Median hourly wage: $73.81
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
antoniodiaz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $155,030
- Median hourly wage: $74.53
- Total employment: 80 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $156,050
- Median hourly wage: $75.02
- Total employment: 720 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $156,190
- Median hourly wage: $75.09
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Krakenimages.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
- Median annual wage: $156,670
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,490 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $158,260
- Median hourly wage: $76.09
- Total employment: 1,000 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Samborskyi // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $159,240
- Median hourly wage: $76.56
- Total employment: 21,080 people (13.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $159,600
- Median hourly wage: $76.73
- Total employment: 140 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $160,640
- Median hourly wage: $77.23
- Total employment: 5,830 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $161,010
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 330 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $162,030
- Median hourly wage: $77.90
- Total employment: 2,790 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Diego Cervo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $162,810
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $163,220
- Median hourly wage: $78.47
- Total employment: 2,260 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $163,860
- Median hourly wage: $78.78
- Total employment: 2,820 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $165,000
- Median hourly wage: $79.33
- Total employment: 8,990 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Biological science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $165,530
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 570 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $166,600
- Median hourly wage: $80.10
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $167,000
- Median hourly wage: $80.29
- Total employment: 10,130 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kanghophoto // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $168,300
- Median hourly wage: $80.91
- Total employment: 8,120 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $169,230
- Median hourly wage: $81.36
- Total employment: 3,200 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $171,590
- Median hourly wage: $82.49
- Total employment: 4,390 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $176,970
- Median hourly wage: $85.08
- Total employment: 1,950 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BOY ANTHONY // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $185,550
- Median hourly wage: $89.21
- Total employment: 3,690 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elnur // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $187,010
- Median hourly wage: $89.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Frame Stock Footage // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $193,370
- Median hourly wage: $92.96
- Total employment: 7,620 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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VE.Studio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $199,590
- Median hourly wage: $95.96
- Total employment: 2,630 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
- Median annual wage: $205,650
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric
- Median annual wage: $215,010
- Median hourly wage: $103.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prostock-studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dentists, all other specialists
- Median annual wage: $220,840
- Median hourly wage: $106.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 3,260 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Natee K Jindakum // Shutterstock
41 / 50#1. Physicians, pathologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#1. Obstetricians and gynecologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 170 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#1. Anesthesiologists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 720 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
44 / 50#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 1,770 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
45 / 50#1. Nurse anesthetists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Photoroyalty // Shutterstock
46 / 50#1. Surgeons, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
47 / 50#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,190 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
48 / 50#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 280 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
49 / 50#1. Pediatricians, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
Tijana Simic // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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