San Diego State University campus

credit : StuSeeger | license

San Diego State Salaries

  • 7/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • San Diego, CA
  • 4.7 3 reviews
#10 Best Public Universities in California
Overview Admission Cost Majors Diversity Outcomes Salaries Location Compare Reviews Admission Calculator

Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at San Diego State University

This page shows median first-year earnings for San Diego State graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $39,400 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $53,400. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, with median first-year earnings of $85,200 , followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $68,400 , and Computer Science at $64,800 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree), with median first-year earnings of $68,900 , followed by Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) at $67,700 , and Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) at $67,500 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for San Diego State University graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for San Diego State University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $85,200
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) $68,900
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $68,400
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $67,700
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $67,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $64,900
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $64,800
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) $63,500
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $63,300
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,200
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $61,600
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,400
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,000
Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $51,500
Public Health (Master's Degree) $50,200
Social Work (Master's Degree) $49,100
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degree) $49,000
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) $46,900
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,500
International Business (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,100
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,000
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,500
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,400
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,500
Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,100
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,600
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,300
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,500
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,000
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
Public Administration (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,500
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,200
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,000
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,600
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,000
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,700
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,400
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,900
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,000
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,300
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,100
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,700
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,700
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,900
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,600
Social Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,300
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,000
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,300

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering San Diego State University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=122409.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026