BLS figures put the median pay for software developers in San Diego, CA, at $163,270 a year. It runs 35% above the national median of $121,110 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $128,590 and $193,980 — a 65,390 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $163,300 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: San Diego is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $78.49, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for software developers across all U.S. metros in our data is $121,110.