As of September 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Hydraulic Engineer in San Diego, CA is $65,017, equivalent to $31 per hour, $1,250 weekly, or $5,418 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Hydraulic Engineer in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Hydraulic Engineer in San Diego, CA vary widely, spanning from $49,515 to $81,745. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($56,903) and 75th percentile ($73,773), while top earners (90th percentile) make $81,745 per year. This $16,870 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Customer Service or Schematic, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, San Diego Hydraulic Engineer often earn 2.2% higher than national averages. However, San Diego currently ranks 128 statewide for Hydraulic Engineer job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like MFG Durable to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Hydraulic Engineer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Hydraulic Engineer Salary $49,515 San Diego, CA September 01, 2026
25th Percentile Hydraulic Engineer Salary $56,903 San Diego, CA September 01, 2026
50th Percentile Hydraulic Engineer Salary $65,017 San Diego, CA September 01, 2026
75th Percentile Hydraulic Engineer Salary $73,773 San Diego, CA September 01, 2026
90th Percentile Hydraulic Engineer Salary $81,745 San Diego, CA September 01, 2026
25% $56,903 10% $49,515 90% $81,745 75% $73,773 $65,017 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Hydraulic Engineer ?

Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the movement of the fluids. This area of civil engineering is intimately related to the design of bridges, dams, channels, canals, and levees, and to both sanitary and environmental engineering. Hydraulic engineering is the application of the principles of fluid mechanics to problems dealing with the collection, storage, control, transport, regulation, measurem...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Hydraulic Engineer.

Job Openings for Hydraulic Engineer in San Diego, CA

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Hydraulic Engineer

    0 - 1 years experience
    High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

  2. Up a level:

    Hydraulic Technician, Sr.

    1 - 3 years experience
    High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Hydraulic Engineer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
56903
73773
65017

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
61845
78794
69479
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Hydraulic Engineer in San Diego, CA. The base salary for Hydraulic Engineer ranges from $56,903 to $73,773 with the average base salary of $65,017. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $61,845 to $78,794 with the average total cash compensation of $69,479.

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56903
73773

 

About San Diego, California    According to SDSU professor emeritus Monte Marshall, San Diego Bay is "the surface expression of a north-south-trending, nested graben". The Rose Cany....More

San Diego, California  area prices were up 2.6% from a year ago

Hydraulic Engineer Salary in popular cities: Los AngelesSan JoseSan Francisco

Skills associated with Hydraulic Engineer: Design

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