California job market
Jobs in San Diego, CA
San Diego has one of the largest concentrations of military and defense activity in the country, with Navy and Marine Corps bases and the contractors that support them. It is also a major center for biotech and life sciences research, wireless and telecommunications technology, and healthcare. Tourism and hospitality are large employers, and cross-border trade with Mexico supports logistics and manufacturing. Universities and research institutes add many research and staff roles. Living costs are high. California requires pay scales in job postings from employers with 15 or more employees.
Updated
Latest job openings in San Diego, CA
Major industries in the San Diego area
Long-standing employers by sector. Hiring in each changes over time.
- Military and defense
- Biotech and life sciences
- Telecommunications and wireless technology
- Healthcare
- Tourism and hospitality
- Cross-border trade and manufacturing
- Higher education and research
Job search tips for San Diego
- Search La Jolla, Sorrento Valley, Carlsbad and Chula Vista for research and defense roles.
- Veterans and military spouses can find dedicated resources through CareerOneStop and local American Job Centers.
- Confirm whether a 'remote' role must be based in this state; many are limited to certain states.
For local pay by occupation, see the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics metro tables. Free in-person help is available at American Job Centers, which you can find through CareerOneStop.
Browse San Diego jobs by career field
- Healthcare jobs
- Software Engineering jobs
- Data & Analytics jobs
- AI & Machine Learning jobs
- Cybersecurity jobs
- DevOps & Cloud jobs
- Product & Design jobs
- Sales & Marketing jobs
- Finance & Accounting jobs
- Human Resources jobs
- Operations & Logistics jobs
- Customer Support jobs
- Education jobs
- Legal jobs
- Skilled Trades jobs
Watch out for job scams
Real employers never charge you to apply. Walk away if you see any of these:
- You are asked to pay for training, equipment, a background check or an application fee.
- They send a check and ask you to buy equipment from their vendor or send part of it back.
- The 'job' is receiving money into your account, or packages at home, and forwarding them.
- You get an offer without a real phone or video interview, often after a chat-only exchange.
Jobs in San Diego: frequently asked questions
How do I find jobs in San Diego, CA?
Use the live San Diego listings on this page, then check the California state job bank (CareerOneStop's job bank finder links to every state's), USAJOBS for federal roles, and the careers pages of large local employers. Set up alerts so new postings reach you within a day or two.
Where can I find salary data for San Diego?
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program publishes pay by occupation for metro areas, including the San Diego area. CareerOneStop's salary finder presents the same data by job title. Compare it with the pay range in the posting.
Other US job markets
Job search guides
Plain-English guides for job seekers in the US.
- Spot job scamsLearn the warning signs of fake job offers in the US: fake check and equipment scams, pay-to-train schemes, reshipping and task scams, and how to report them to the FTC and IC3.
- US resume guideA practical guide to the American resume: one or two pages, no photo, the sections recruiters expect, how applicant tracking systems read it, and how to tailor it to each job.
- Interview preparationPrepare for phone, video and in-person interviews in the US: research the employer, answer common and behavioral questions with the STAR method, ask good questions and follow up.
- Salary negotiationHow to research fair pay in the US, answer salary expectation questions, compare total compensation and negotiate a job offer politely, with sample wording.
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