High-paying software engineering jobs in San Diego
Software Engineering develops and maintains software applications. Engineers write code, design solutions, and ensure quality. Programming skills and problem-solving abilities are essential.
The 628 software engineering jobs listed below pay well, with salaries between $129,831 and $203,149 per year. Software Engineer, Principal Software Engineer and Senior Software Engineer are among the most popular high-paying roles in San Diego, CA.
Job title
Updated Oct 22, 2026Staff Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Principal Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Forward Deployed Engineer
San Diego
California
Machine Learning Engineer
San Diego
California
Technical Program Manager
San Diego
California
Software Architect
San Diego
California
Senior Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Software Test Engineer
San Diego
California
AI Developer
San Diego
California
Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Job descriptions below are for educational purposes. Please refer to the employer's job description for complete details.
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Staff Software Engineer
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Staff software engineers lead technical initiatives, mentor teams, and drive software innovation. Programming knowledge, strong problem-solving abilities and excellent interpersonal skills are key to success.
Staff Software Engineer jobs take 8 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 47% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 4% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$203,149 per yearCalifornia
$223,658 per year -
Principal Software Engineer
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Principal Software Engineers lead development teams, design software architectures, and assure code quality. Advanced coding skills, leadership experience, and architectural expertise are essential.
Principal Software Engineer jobs take 10 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 23% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$186,872 per yearCalifornia
$219,188 per year -
Forward Deployed Engineer
Forward Deployed Engineer jobs take 47 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 26% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$184,882 per yearCalifornia
$190,103 per year -
Machine Learning Engineer
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Machine Learning Engineers design and deploy predictive models, optimize algorithms for scalability, and integrate AI solutions into products. They need expertise in programming, knowledge of data structures, and proficiency with machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.
Machine Learning Engineer jobs take 39 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 26% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 2% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$173,416 per yearCalifornia
$214,445 per year -
Technical Program Manager
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Technical program managers lead cross-functional teams, manage project timelines and ensure alignment with technical requirements. Success requires strong organizational skills, technical expertise and effective communication.
Currently, 18% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$173,366 per yearCalifornia
$179,566 per year -
Software Architect
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Software architects define system architecture, guide development teams, and evaluate technology choices. They should have experience with architecture frameworks, strong problem-solving abilities and excellent communication skills.
Currently, 40% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$162,786 per yearCalifornia
$172,261 per yearSkills
- REST
- Microservices
- CI/CD
- AWS
- Java
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Senior Software Engineer
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Senior Software Engineers lead software development, optimize systems, and mentor juniors. Deep programming expertise, experience with system architecture, and strong problem-solving abilities are essential for innovative solutions.
Senior Software Engineer jobs take 94 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 32% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$159,575 per yearCalifornia
$186,023 per yearSkills
- Agile
- APIs
- AWS
- Java
- Software development
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Software Test Engineer
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Software test engineers create and execute test plans to ensure software quality meets standards. Proficiency in testing methodologies, attention to detail and analytical skills are essential for this role.
Software Test Engineer jobs take 31 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 27% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$151,835 per yearCalifornia
$162,406 per yearSkills
- Test automation
- Selenium
- Software testing
- CI/CD
- Agile
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AI Developer
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AI developers design intelligent models, improve algorithms and ensure data quality. Expertise in AI technologies, coding skills and problem-solving ability are key to success in this role.
AI Developer jobs take 33 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 37% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 6% of job openings are part-time roles.
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San Diego
$141,232 per yearCalifornia
$178,947 per yearSkills
- AI
- Python
- Machine learning
- TensorFlow
- Natural language processing
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Software Engineer
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Software Engineers design and develop software applications, write code, and ensure system functionality. Proficiency in programming languages, problem-solving skills, and technical expertise are crucial.
Software Engineer jobs take 61 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 20% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$129,831 per yearCalifornia
$163,237 per yearSkills
- Software development
- Agile
- APIs
- Java
- Git