How Much Does an MRI Tech Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for MRI Techs in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical MRI Tech in San Diego, California earns $59.17 per hour, or $123,080 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,257 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $74,500, and the top 10% of earners make over $153,150.
That pay is 1% below the California figure of $124,000 and 29% above the national figure of $95,480. San Diego ranks 7th of 13 metro areas in California for MRI Tech pay. About 320 MRI Techs work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chula Vista and Carlsbad share these figures.
MRI Tech pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $59.17 an hour, or $123,080 a year.
- That is 1% below the California figure, ranking 7th of 13 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $74,500; the top 10% make over $153,150.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +41% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MRI Tech make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $35.82 an hour to more than $73.63 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
MRI Tech pay by career stage in San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $74,500$35.82 an hour | $74,360$35.75 an hour | $68,890$33.12 an hour |
| First years | $92,340$44.40 an hour | $92,970$44.70 an hour | $81,040$38.96 an hour |
| Typical MRI Tech | $123,080$59.17 an hour | $124,000$59.62 an hour | $95,480$45.91 an hour |
| Experienced | $142,630$68.57 an hour | $151,760$72.96 an hour | $106,340$51.12 an hour |
| Top 10% | $153,150$73.63 an hour | $174,030$83.67 an hour | $127,670$61.38 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
MRI Tech pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for MRI Techs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical MRI Tech pay in San Diego was $90,870 a year. By 2025 it had reached $123,080, a change of +35%, compared with +41% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Sunnyvale pays MRI Techs the most in California at $176,950 a year, $53,870 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Ventura at $86,050.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | MRI Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $176,950 | $85.07 | +44% | 220 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $176,650 | $84.93 | +44% | 30 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $146,260 | $70.32 | +19% | 420 |
| 4 | Folsom metro incl. Sacramento · Roseville | $144,810 | $69.62 | +18% | 220 |
| 5 | Modesto | $126,980 | $61.05 | +3% | 50 |
| 6 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $125,660 | $60.42 | +2% | 30 |
| 7 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $123,080 | $59.17 | this city | 320 |
| 8 | Anaheim metro incl. Los Angeles · Long Beach | $109,800 | $52.79 | -11% | 1,290 |
| 9 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $108,410 | $52.12 | -12% | 40 |
| 10 | Fresno | $106,710 | $51.30 | -13% | 130 |
| 11 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $106,010 | $50.97 | -14% | 320 |
| 12 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $98,550 | $47.38 | -20% | 60 |
| 13 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $86,050 | $41.37 | -30% | 50 |
Every metro area in California with MRI Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $124,000
Is San Diego a good place to work as an MRI Tech?
MRI Techs in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $123,080 a year, 29% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 0.2 are MRI Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.3. That makes MRI Techs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MRI Tech make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical MRI Tech in San Diego earns $123,080 a year, or $59.17 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $74,500 and the top 10% earn over $153,150.
- How much does an MRI Tech make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for MRI Techs in San Diego is $59.17. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $35.82, and the top 10% earn over $73.63 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MRI Tech in San Diego?
- Entry-level MRI Tech positions in San Diego typically offer around $35.82 an hour, or $74,500 a year.
- Is MRI Tech pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is 1% below the California figure of $124,000 a year, ranking 7th of 13 metro areas in the state. Sunnyvale pays the most in California at $176,950.