How Much Does a Sonographer Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Sonographers 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 Sonographer in San Diego, California earns $62.32 per hour, or $129,630 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,803 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $65,290, and the top 10% of earners make over $168,060.
That pay is 1% above the California figure of $128,530 and 34% above the national figure of $96,590. San Diego ranks 11th of 19 metro areas in California for Sonographer pay. About 720 Sonographers 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 Carlsbad and Chula Vista share these figures.
Sonographer pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $62.32 an hour, or $129,630 a year.
- That is 1% above the California figure, ranking 11th of 19 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $65,290; the top 10% make over $168,060.
- Typical pay rose +41% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Sonographer make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $31.39 an hour to more than $80.80 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Sonographer pay by career stage in San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $65,290$31.39 an hour | $62,890$30.24 an hour | $67,820$32.60 an hour |
| First years | $103,870$49.94 an hour | $99,510$47.84 an hour | $80,430$38.67 an hour |
| Typical Sonographer | $129,630$62.32 an hour | $128,530$61.79 an hour | $96,590$46.44 an hour |
| Experienced | $147,180$70.76 an hour | $160,580$77.20 an hour | $106,930$51.41 an hour |
| Top 10% | $168,060$80.80 an hour | $177,780$85.47 an hour | $129,370$62.20 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Sonographer pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Sonographers 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 Sonographer pay in San Diego was $92,250 a year. By 2025 it had reached $129,630, a change of +41%, compared with +33% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Sonographers the most in California at $173,150 a year, $43,520 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $99,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Sonographers employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $173,150 | $83.25 | +34% | 500 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $171,170 | $82.30 | +32% | 140 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $163,220 | $78.47 | +26% | 610 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $161,570 | $77.68 | +25% | 90 |
| 5 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $160,270 | $77.05 | +24% | 1,300 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $142,150 | $68.34 | +10% | 40 |
| 7 | Modesto | $141,210 | $67.89 | +9% | 200 |
| 8 | Redding | $133,340 | $64.11 | +3% | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $132,490 | $63.70 | +2% | 100 |
| 10 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $130,210 | $62.60 | 0% | 140 |
| 11 | San Diego metro incl. Carlsbad · Chula Vista | $129,630 | $62.32 | this city | 720 |
| 12 | Thousand Oaks | $125,750 | $60.46 | -3% | 140 |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,090 | $60.14 | -4% | 40 |
| 14 | Chico | $123,880 | $59.56 | -4% | 80 |
| 15 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $119,430 | $57.42 | -8% | 3,550 |
| 16 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $108,990 | $52.40 | -16% | 180 |
| 17 | Fresno | $107,750 | $51.80 | -17% | 390 |
| 18 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $105,860 | $50.90 | -18% | 960 |
| 19 | Visalia | $99,010 | $47.60 | -24% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with Sonographer wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $128,530
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Sonographer?
Sonographers in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $129,630 a year, 34% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 0.5 are Sonographer positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.6. That makes Sonographers 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 a Sonographer make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical Sonographer in San Diego earns $129,630 a year, or $62.32 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $65,290 and the top 10% earn over $168,060.
- How much does a Sonographer make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Sonographers in San Diego is $62.32. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $31.39, and the top 10% earn over $80.80 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Sonographer in San Diego?
- Entry-level Sonographer positions in San Diego typically offer around $31.39 an hour, or $65,290 a year.
- Is Sonographer pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is 1% above the California figure of $128,530 a year, ranking 11th of 19 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $173,150.