Chemistry Degree in San Diego, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Chemistry degree analysis for San Diego, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$77K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$119K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.4 yrs
in San Diego
Cost of Living
140
index (100 = avg)
Chemistry in San Diego, CA Overview
San Diego is one of California's top college towns, with 68 institutions and a student population of 142,542. Public tuition averages $10,911/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Although national enrollment in Chemistry has been declining, graduates with skills in Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in San Diego is approximately $77,000, growing to $119,000 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
68
Public Tuition
$10,911/yr
Private Tuition
$54,140/yr
Room & Board
$12,766/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,600/yr
Unemployment
6.7%
Graduation Rate
63%
Chemistry Salary in San Diego (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Diego's cost of living index of 140 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Chemistry salary: $55,000 starting, $85,000 mid-career, $110,000 senior level.San Diego adjustment factor: 1.40x based on the local cost of living index.
Chemistry ROI Calculator for San Diego
Estimate your return on investment for a Chemistry degree using local San Diego tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,911 | Private avg: $54,140
San Diego avg aid: $13,600/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$94,708
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$28,000
vs HS diploma in San Diego
ROI Payback Period
3.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Diego
$675,292
Lifetime earnings premium ($770,000) minus total education cost ($94,708)
Student Loan Payoff for Chemistry in San Diego
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Diego for Chemistry
UC San Diego
public
$14,312/yr
$57,248 total
San Diego State University
public
$7,510/yr
$30,040 total
University of San Diego
private
$54,140/yr
$216,560 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
San Diego City College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Chemistry in San Diego
San Diego offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Chemistry graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key San Diego Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Chemistry Job Titles
Chemistry in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$78K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Jose, CA
$71K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$63K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$65K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$62K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$64K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$73K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$74K starting · COL 134
18 colleges
Other STEM Majors in San Diego
Prompt Engineering
$70K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$133K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$119K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$123K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$115K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$112K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Chemistry Degree in San Diego — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Chemistry ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in San Diego.