Top 10 Biotech Jobs in San Diego for 2025

San Diego has long been a life-sciences and biotech powerhouse, and in 2025 it continues to strengthen that identity. The region’s concentration of research institutions, biotech startups, pharmaceutical firms, and a favorable climate for translational science make it a magnet for biotech talent. As advances in gene therapy, cell therapy, diagnostics, and biologics accelerate, demand for specialized biotech roles is rising — offering strong opportunities for professionals in the area.

Here are ten biotech roles expected to be in high demand in San Diego this year, with overviews, salary insight, and hiring industries.

1. Research Scientist / Principal Investigator

Research Scientists design, conduct, and interpret experiments in areas like molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, or genomics. In San Diego, these roles often feed directly into translational pipelines at biotech firms or academic spinouts.

Salary Range: $140,000 – $230,000+
Hiring: Illumina, Fate Therapeutics, Salk Institute, biotech startups

2. Senior Scientist / Staff Scientist

A Senior Scientist leads projects, mentors junior staff, and often manages cross-functional efforts in process development, assay development, or therapeutic research. These positions require strong technical depth and leadership skills.

Salary Range: $130,000 – $170,000+
Hiring: Pharmaceutical firms, contract research organizations (CROs), biotech R&D groups

3. Associate Scientist / Scientist I / II

These mid-level roles support research and development efforts — performing experiments, data analysis, and optimization under supervision. They’re often stepping stones toward senior positions.

Salary Range: $100,000 – $125,000
Hiring: Biotech firms, academic labs, biotech instrumentation companies

4. Process Development Engineer / Scientist

Process Development professionals optimize biological or chemical processes for manufacturing, scale-up, and production. In biotech, this is crucial when moving from lab scale to clinical or commercial scale.

Salary Range: $120,000 – $180,000+
Hiring: Biomanufacturing companies, contract manufacturers, cell and gene therapy firms

5. Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) Specialist

QA and QC roles ensure that biotech products meet regulatory standards, maintain high quality, and perform rigorous testing. They’re critical in regulated environments and play a key role in ensuring product safety and compliance.

Salary Range: $90,000 – $140,000+

Hiring: Pharmaceutical companies, biologics manufacturers, diagnostics firms

6. Regulatory Affairs / Compliance Manager

Regulatory Affairs professionals navigate FDA and global regulatory pathways, prepare submissions, and manage compliance. With more biotech products entering trials, this role becomes increasingly important.

Salary Range: $120,000 – $180,000+
Hiring: Biotech firms, pharma companies, medical device and diagnostics firms

7. Clinical Research Associate / Clinical Project Manager

These roles oversee clinical trials — monitoring data, coordinating with sites, ensuring protocol compliance, and managing timelines. They serve as a bridge between discovery and human testing.

Salary Range: $90,000 – $160,000+
Hiring: Clinical trial organizations, biotech firms, CROs

8. Bioinformatics / Computational Biologist

Bioinformatics professionals analyze genomic, proteomic, and high-throughput data, build models, and support biomarker discovery and algorithmic insights. Their work powers precision therapies and diagnostics.

Salary Range: $120,000 – $200,000+
Hiring: Genomics firms, diagnostics startups, biotech R&D groups

9. Manufacturing / Bioprocess Technician

These roles operate and maintain bioreactors, purification systems, and downstream processing equipment. They support manufacturing operations under GMP conditions.

Salary Range: $60,000 – $100,000+
Hiring: Biomanufacturing plants, cell and gene therapy manufacturers, contract manufacturing organizations

10. Field Application Scientist / Technical Support Scientist

These professionals often work at the interface between the biotech firm and its customers — supporting instrument or assay deployment, troubleshooting, and training. They require both scientific knowledge and communication skills.

Salary Range: $100,000 – $160,000+
Hiring: Life sciences instrumentation companies, reagent and consumables firms, diagnostics companies

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