Financial and Investment Analysts salary in San Diego, California

About 3,390 Financial and Investment Analysts work in the San Diego metro, and their median annual wage came in at $102,940 in 2024. That sits roughly 2% above the national median of $101,220, a narrow gap compared to what you might expect from a California city. The state median, at $111,100, runs about 8% higher than San Diego's figure, reflecting how much the Bay Area and Los Angeles pull California's statewide average upward.

The spread between low and high earners is wide. Analysts at the 10th percentile earned around $66,060, while those at the 90th earned $168,740. Top earners in the metro make about 2.5 times what those starting out do. That kind of range usually signals real variation by seniority and sub-specialty. An analyst working in wealth management, portfolio research, or institutional sales will likely land at a very different point on that scale than someone in a more generalist role.

The mean wage of $114,100 runs about $11,000 above the median. A smaller group of higher-paid analysts pulls that average up, which is common in financial occupations where senior and specialized roles carry a significant pay premium.

San Diego is a mid-sized market for this occupation. With 3,390 people working in the role locally, it is a real presence but well below what the Bay Area or Los Angeles report. For analysts in defense-adjacent finance, biotech capital markets, or private wealth, the metro has a defined employer base. For those chasing the highest compensation numbers in California, the state median suggests other markets pay more at the midpoint.