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 682 software engineering jobs listed below pay well, with salaries between $133,800 and $203,130 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 Sep 05, 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
Data Engineer
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 10 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 44% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 4% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 75 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$203,130 per yearCalifornia
$222,715 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 4 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 105 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$183,795 per yearCalifornia
$219,543 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 26 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 25% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 33 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$175,300 per yearCalifornia
$215,499 per yearSkills
- Machine learning frameworks
- PyTorch
- AI
- Natural language processing
- SQL
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Forward Deployed Engineer
Currently, 26% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 59 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$172,024 per yearCalifornia
$188,864 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, 13% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 31 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$165,971 per yearCalifornia
$176,192 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 18 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 23% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 1% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 45 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$162,891 per yearCalifornia
$164,607 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 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 110 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$161,877 per yearCalifornia
$186,551 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 24 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 42% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 6% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 33 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$141,721 per yearCalifornia
$177,954 per yearSkills
- Azure
- AI
- Natural language processing
- Machine learning
- TensorFlow
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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 33 days on average from job posting to starting date. Currently, 37% of job openings offer remote or hybrid positions and 0% of job openings are part-time roles.
See 27 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$134,526 per yearCalifornia
$155,861 per yearSkills
- SQL
- Python
- AWS
- ETL
- Spark
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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 52 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 164 jobsAverage pay
San Diego
$133,800 per yearCalifornia
$162,545 per yearSkills
- Software development
- Agile
- APIs
- Java
- Git