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Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence startup salaries in San Diego in 2026

What is the expected salary for a software engineer in Artificial Intelligence startups in San Diego? The average expected salary for software engineers in Artificial Intelligence startups in San Diego is 157 per year, with a range from 15k to 276k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for a software engineer in Artificial Intelligence startup in San Diego varies depending on factors such as experience, skills, and startup stage.

156.6k

Average Salary

3 years

Average years of experience

Hiring data hero image

Salary

By quarter
The average salary in Artificial Intelligence startups in San Diego is$156,625, which is 15.7% higher than the average San Diego startup salary of $135,375. Salaries in Artificial Intelligence in San Diego are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, and skill-set.

Top of market

$226,125/yr

Range $140k - $276k

Average

$156,625/yr

Range $100k - $200k

Below Average

$108,167/yr

Range $15k - $160k

Industries

Use the filters above to discover compensation across companies similar to yours.

Tech Stack

The highest average salary in Artificial Intelligence in San Diego employees can get with react, that is $221,000. This pay is 63.3% higher than the average salary in San Diego startups, which is $135,375. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
The top-paying developer skills in Artificial Intelligence startups in San Diego of 2026 are:

  • 1. react

    $221k

  • 2. Kotlin

    $221k

  • 3. Scipy

    $215k

  • 4. OpenCV

    $205k

  • 5. Swift

    $203.5k

  • 6. Websockets

    $202.5k

  • 7. Matlab

    $200k

  • 8. Xcode

    $198.5k

  • 9. Objective-C

    $198.5k

  • 10. SwiftUI

    $198.5k

Years of experience

Below Average

Average

Top of Market

The highest average salary in Artificial Intelligence in San Diego can get an employee with 10+ years of experience, that is $57,000. This pay is 57.9% lower than the average salary in San Diego startups, which is $135,375. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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Popular skills in San Diego

Python

Artificial Intelligence Tech Hubs

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Industries in San Diego

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