Bottom quarter
$90K
Account Executive Salary in San Diego
Base pay and on-target total cash for a quota-carrying role. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Base salary
Median
$104K
Top quarter
$122K
Top 10%
$140K
Total earnings at quota (base + commission)
Bottom quarter
$177K
Median
$203K
Top quarter
$239K
Top 10%
$274K
Adjusted for San Diego at 1.13× the national baseline. Total cash assumes 100% of quota — actual earnings vary by attainment. See the math →
What this number means.
Account Executive in San Diego pulls a median of $203,400 in total earnings at quota, with a top-quartile band reaching $238,774 and the strongest reps clearing $274,148. Base — your guaranteed floor before commission — sits around $103,960, with the top quarter of base offers landing at $122,040. Total earnings are base + commission at 100% of quota. Pay in San Diego runs about 13% above the national baseline. $238,774 is what top-quartile Account Executive earnings look like in San Diego when you hit quota. Don't undersell the variable.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$238,774 total earnings — top quarter for reps hitting quota in this market. This is the number you say first.
- Target$221,087 total earnings — where a fair counter lands. Above the middle of the pack, below the anchor.
- Floor$203,400 total earnings — below this, you're under the middle of the market. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.
Carry the math. Not the maybe.
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Account Executive elsewhere
Adjacent metros
Read how these numbers are computed →
Numbers are estimates. Your offer depends on the company, the level, the stock piece, and the conversation you're about to have. AMMO is a tool. You are the negotiator.