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 627 software engineering jobs listed below pay well, with salaries between $132,193 and $204,561 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 Aug 15, 2026Staff Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Principal Software Engineer
San Diego
California
Machine Learning Engineer
San Diego
California
Forward Deployed Engineer
San Diego
California
Firmware Engineer
San Diego
California
Software Test Engineer
San Diego
California
Senior Software Engineer
San Diego
California
AI Developer
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, 47% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 4% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 65 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$204,561 per yearCalifornia
$222,253 per yearSkills
- Software development
- Java
- AWS
- Communication skills
- Leadership
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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, 22% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 104 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$183,717 per yearCalifornia
$217,965 per yearSkills
- Software development
- Leadership
- Java
- Communication skills
- AWS
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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 25 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.
See 29 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$168,469 per yearCalifornia
$215,885 per yearSkills
- Machine learning frameworks
- PyTorch
- AI
- Natural language processing
- SQL
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Forward Deployed Engineer
Currently, 23% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 53 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$167,141 per yearCalifornia
$181,585 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.
Firmware Engineer jobs take 60 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 15% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 29 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$165,942 per yearCalifornia
$176,506 per yearSkills
- C
- C++
- Firmware
- Debugging
- Linux
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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 39 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 37 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$163,410 per yearCalifornia
$164,215 per yearSkills
- Test automation
- Selenium
- CI/CD
- Software testing
- Agile
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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 30 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 31% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 107 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$162,693 per yearCalifornia
$186,142 per yearSkills
- Agile
- APIs
- AWS
- Java
- Software development
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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 25 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 43% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 7% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 33 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$148,179 per yearCalifornia
$179,109 per yearSkills
- Azure
- AI
- Natural language processing
- Machine learning
- TensorFlow
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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 54 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 22% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 140 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$133,204 per yearCalifornia
$161,244 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 31 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 36% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 30 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$132,193 per yearCalifornia
$156,067 per yearSkills
- SQL
- Python
- AWS
- ETL
- Spark