High paying medical jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run 11.9% above the national average (2024), so a San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA salary is worth about 0.89× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find medical jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

OccupationMedian, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$323,050
Doctoral or professional degree
$123,770 – $391,4404,200
2Family Medicine Physicians$295,530
Doctoral or professional degree
$149,290 – $493,9801,360
3Pediatricians, General$262,650
Doctoral or professional degree
$158,110 – $358,320630
4Physician Assistants$165,160
Master's degree
$109,750 – $214,5701,370
5Pharmacists$165,130
Doctoral or professional degree
$131,400 – $214,4802,840
6Nurse Practitioners$163,860
Master's degree
$131,380 – $215,6402,340
7Veterinarians$159,750
Doctoral or professional degree
$67,540 – $276,2301,080
8Dentists, General$158,160
Doctoral or professional degree
$90,600 – $259,3201,710
9Registered Nurses$139,520
Bachelor's degree
$102,480 – $175,21028,680
10Optometrists$133,280
Doctoral or professional degree
$102,250 – $208,180540
11Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$129,630
Associate's degree
$65,290 – $168,060720
12Dental Hygienists$123,790
Associate's degree
$108,320 – $130,5301,940
13Occupational Therapists$121,680
Master's degree
$92,790 – $152,1501,620
14Speech-Language Pathologists$119,690
Master's degree
$84,200 – $148,5101,590
15Physical Therapists$113,850
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,500 – $158,7002,680
16Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$113,480
Associate's degree
$65,440 – $149,3901,770
17Respiratory Therapists$105,040
Associate's degree
$82,140 – $131,4401,430
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$98,870
Bachelor's degree
$74,190 – $121,970620
19Surgical Technologists$82,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$62,300 – $101,4301,110
20Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$79,720
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,950 – $96,3906,610
21Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$63,770
Bachelor's degree
$45,130 – $127,7102,740
22Medical Records Specialists$61,480
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,100 – $99,9301,600
23Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$60,280
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,720 – $96,8802,010
24Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$60,280
Associate's degree
$49,240 – $74,6201,330
25Opticians, Dispensing$58,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$45,640 – $80,240490
26Pharmacy Technicians$54,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,310 – $81,1903,600
27Chiropractors$51,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$51,990 – $179,230640
28Psychiatric Technicians$48,120
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,080 – $77,120900
29Emergency Medical Technicians$43,620
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,460 – $63,9101,750

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$323,050	$123,770 – $391,440	4,200
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$295,530	$149,290 – $493,980	1,360
3	Pediatricians, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$262,650	$158,110 – $358,320	630
4	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$165,160	$109,750 – $214,570	1,370
5	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$165,130	$131,400 – $214,480	2,840
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$163,860	$131,380 – $215,640	2,340
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$159,750	$67,540 – $276,230	1,080
8	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$158,160	$90,600 – $259,320	1,710
9	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$139,520	$102,480 – $175,210	28,680
10	OptometristsDoctoral or professional degree	$133,280	$102,250 – $208,180	540
11	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$129,630	$65,290 – $168,060	720
12	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$123,790	$108,320 – $130,530	1,940
13	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$121,680	$92,790 – $152,150	1,620
14	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$119,690	$84,200 – $148,510	1,590
15	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$113,850	$77,500 – $158,700	2,680
16	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$113,480	$65,440 – $149,390	1,770
17	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$105,040	$82,140 – $131,440	1,430
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$98,870	$74,190 – $121,970	620
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$82,260	$62,300 – $101,430	1,110
20	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$79,720	$64,950 – $96,390	6,610
21	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$63,770	$45,130 – $127,710	2,740
22	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,480	$44,100 – $99,930	1,600
23	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,280	$47,720 – $96,880	2,010
24	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$60,280	$49,240 – $74,620	1,330
25	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,240	$45,640 – $80,240	490
26	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,500	$44,310 – $81,190	3,600
27	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$51,990	$51,990 – $179,230	640
28	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,120	$37,080 – $77,120	900
29	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$43,620	$37,460 – $63,910	1,750

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

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