Marine Biology Degree in San Diego, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Marine Biology degree analysis for San Diego, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$70K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$87K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.5 yrs
in San Diego
Cost of Living
140
index (100 = avg)
Marine Biology 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. Marine Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Scuba Diving and Marine Ecology. The adjusted starting salary in San Diego is approximately $70,000.
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%
Marine Biology Salary in San Diego (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Diego's cost of living index of 140 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Marine Biology salary: $50,000 starting, $62,000 mid-career, $78,000 senior level.San Diego adjustment factor: 1.40x based on the local cost of living index.
Marine Biology ROI Calculator for San Diego
Estimate your return on investment for a Marine Biology 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
$21,000
vs HS diploma in San Diego
ROI Payback Period
4.5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Diego
$255,292
Lifetime earnings premium ($350,000) minus total education cost ($94,708)
Student Loan Payoff for Marine Biology in San Diego
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Diego for Marine Biology
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 Marine Biology in San Diego
San Diego offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Marine Biology 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 Marine Biology Job Titles
Marine Biology in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Bakersfield, CA
$67K 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
Marine Biology 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 Marine Biology ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in San Diego.