SDET jobs in San Diego, United States
SDET pay in San Diego centres on $130k at mid-level, from $110k to $160k. San Diego has about 1.4 million residents and is the 8th largest of the 62 United States cities we list. PassRidge lists 3 open SDET roles based here.
Open SDET roles in San Diego
3 roles based in San Diego, then the levels we place here. Placement pay starts at the higher of the city and national median.
Sr. SDET
SDET Manager, Mail & Messages Automated Testing Frameworks
Quality Engineer - Production
Junior SDET
SDET
Senior SDET
Lead SDET
"Talent pipeline" cards are the levels we place, not an employer's vacancy. Real postings are labelled "Market listing". How pay is set.
SDET pay by level in San Diego
Gross annual pay in USD. San Diego is 1.03× the United States median (+3%), which is $130k at mid-level.
| Level | p10 | Median | p90 | Range | Median (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | $84k | $100k | $130k | $100k | |
| Mid-level | $110k | $130k | $160k | $130k | |
| Senior | $140k | $170k | $210k | $170k | |
| Lead | $170k | $210k | $250k | $210k |
Estimates from posted pay ranges, base pay only. Full SDET salary page for San Diego.
What a SDET does in San Diego
Software engineer who owns test infrastructure, tooling and quality gates.
- Design test frameworks and shared libraries used by several teams
- Build test environments, fixtures and service virtualisation
- Review production code for testability
- Own quality gates in the delivery pipeline
- Mentor developers on writing reliable tests
Skills and stack employers ask for
Tools named most often
Time zone
San Diego is on America/Los Angeles. A 09:00-17:00 day shares 5 h with US East, 0 h with London and 0 h with Central Europe.
SDET jobs in other United States cities
| City | Mid-level median | |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $150k | SDET jobs |
| Los Angeles | $140k | SDET jobs |
| Chicago | $130k | SDET jobs |
| Houston | $130k | SDET jobs |
| Phoenix | $130k | SDET jobs |
| Philadelphia | $120k | SDET jobs |
| San Antonio | $120k | SDET jobs |
| Dallas | $130k | SDET jobs |
Other QA roles in San Diego
QA jobs, time zone and hiring facts for San Diego · SDET role guide · Hire a SDET
SDET jobs in San Diego: FAQ
How much does a SDET earn in San Diego?
A mid-level SDET in San Diego earns a median of $130k a year ($130k), with a p10 to p90 range of $110k to $160k. Junior pay starts near $100k, senior pay is $170k and leads reach $210k.
Are there SDET jobs in San Diego?
Yes: 3 open SDET roles are based in San Diego right now, 0 of them remote, and 148 in United States. Tell us your city and we alert you when a local role opens.
How does San Diego pay compare with the rest of United States?
San Diego ranks 8th of 62 United States cities we track for SDET pay, at 1.03x the national median (+3%). The national mid-level median is $130k, so San Diego is above it.
What skills do SDET jobs in San Diego ask for?
Software engineer who owns test infrastructure, tooling and quality gates. Typical requirements: Strong programming (Java / C# / Python / TS), Design patterns, CI/CD and containers, Distributed systems basics, Code review. The tools named most often are Playwright, REST Assured, Docker, GitHub Actions.
Can a SDET work with US or European teams from San Diego?
San Diego is on America/Los Angeles. A 09:00-17:00 day shares about 5 h with US East, 0 h with London and 0 h with Central Europe. 75% of SDET roles are remote-friendly.
How do I get a SDET job in San Diego with PassRidge?
Tell us your level and stack in the form on this page. A recruiter sends matching roles with the pay shown upfront; it is free for candidates and nothing goes to an employer without your written OK. Our placement range for San Diego starts at the higher of the city and national median.