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 625 software engineering jobs listed below pay well, with salaries between $129,788 and $199,284 per year. Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer and Principal Software Engineer are among the most popular high-paying roles in San Diego, CA.
Job title
Updated Jul 20, 2026Staff Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Forward Deployed Engineer
San Diego
California
Principal Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Machine Learning Engineer
San Diego
California
Firmware Engineer
San Diego
California
Software Test Engineer
San Diego
California
Senior Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Solution Architect
San Diego
California
Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Data 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 12 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 46% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 4% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 58 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$199,284 per yearCalifornia
$221,460 per year -
Forward Deployed Engineer
Currently, 26% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 37 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$190,257 per yearCalifornia
$181,058 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 14 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 25% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 91 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$182,889 per yearCalifornia
$216,835 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 24 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 26% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 36 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$169,108 per yearCalifornia
$215,681 per year -
Firmware Engineer
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Firmware engineers develop software for hardware devices, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. Key skills for this role include expertise in embedded systems, programming and problem solving.
Currently, 15% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 26 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$163,397 per yearCalifornia
$176,135 per year -
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 43 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 21% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 43 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$162,448 per yearCalifornia
$162,951 per yearSkills
- Test automation
- Selenium
- CI/CD
- Software testing
- 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 23 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.
See 125 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$161,017 per yearCalifornia
$185,577 per yearSkills
- Agile
- APIs
- AWS
- Java
- Software development
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Solution Architect
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Solution Architects design IT architectures, guide technology implementation, and ensure systems integration. Expertise in architecture frameworks, technical skills, and strategic planning are vital.
Currently, 32% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 27 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$154,656 per yearCalifornia
$170,059 per yearSkills
- Solution architecture
- AWS
- Azure
- APIs
- Agile
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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 66 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 21% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 144 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$133,616 per yearCalifornia
$160,531 per yearSkills
- Software development
- Agile
- APIs
- Java
- Git
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Data Engineer
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Data Engineers build data pipelines, ensure data integrity, and optimize data systems. Proficiency in SQL, expertise in data modeling, and programming language fluency are essential.
Data Engineer jobs take 29 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 30% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 38 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$129,788 per yearCalifornia
$155,811 per yearSkills
- SQL
- Python
- AWS
- ETL
- Spark