Scientist Jobs in San Diego, CA
Scientist jobs in San Diego are concentrated in Torrey Pines, Sorrento Valley, and the Kearny Mesa biotech corridor, with strong demand across life sciences, pharmaceutical research, and defense analytics. Employers actively hiring include Intuit, UC San Diego, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Position Responsibilities:
- Executes planned experiments/analysis of moderate to advanced complexity within immediate team and performs routine chemical and biochemical testing; uses insights to help troubleshoot problems
- Contributes ideas for meeting project goals and invention disclosures
- Assembles data for analysis using accepted methods and distills key conclusions while keeping an organized laboratory notebook and implementing protocols
- Provides supporting data to Project Lead on risks in area of responsibility
- Understands internal customers and collaborators and their needs and expectations May train internal customers in areas of expertise
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Listed responsibilities are an essential, but not exhaustive list, of the usual duties associated with the position.
Changes to individual responsibilities may occur due to business needs.
Position Requirements:
- Possesses a university level understanding of the scientific principles and laboratory experience (equivalent to Bachelor’s degree); working towards mastery of relevant subject matter
- Able to draw sound conclusions from general experiment data sets
- Can interpret results to form conclusions and suggest next steps with guidance from other scientists
- Uses advanced analytical instrumentation independently to collect data (examples include workstation equipment, Illumina instruments, third party analytical instrumentation, etc.)
- Basic understanding of statistical significance, replicates, controls Communicate with colleagues and supervisors effectively through email, presentations, written reports or in meetings to support decision-making
All listed requirements are deemed as essential functions to this position; however, business conditions may require reasonable accommodations for additional task and responsibilities.
Preferred Experience/Education/Skills:
- Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 0-2 years of related experience; or equivalent work experience.
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
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Find Scientist JobsScientist Job Market in San Diego
Who's Hiring
- Intuit89

- UC San Diego49

- Thermo Fisher Scientific39

- Illumina30

- Amazon30

Top Industries Hiring
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals30
- Medical Devices20
- Insurance10
- Technology & Software10
- Electronics & Hardware10
Scientist Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a scientist job in San Diego?
Focus your search on San Diego's Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley corridors, where biotech, genomics, and pharmaceutical employers cluster most densely. Candidates with hands-on wet lab experience, familiarity with GMP environments, or backgrounds in oncology and immunology research tend to stand out locally. Networking through BIOCOM San Diego, the region's life sciences trade association, also opens doors that job boards alone often miss.
Which companies hire scientists in San Diego?
Employers hiring scientists in San Diego right now include Intuit, UC San Diego, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Diego's employer mix skews heavily toward mid-size biotech firms and large pharmaceutical companies with research campuses, alongside federal contractors tied to the Navy and defense sector in Kearny Mesa and Point Loma.
Are there remote scientist jobs in San Diego?
Yes, but only selectively: hands-on bench and lab roles require on-site presence by nature, while bioinformatics, data science, and regulatory affairs positions are far more remote-compatible. About 27% of scientist openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with those flexible arrangements concentrated most in computational and clinical research functions rather than wet lab or manufacturing roles.
How can I get a scientist job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is a research associate or lab technician role at one of the many mid-size biotech startups in Sorrento Valley that regularly hire candidates fresh from university programs at UC San Diego or San Diego State. Contract research organizations in the area also bring on entry-level scientists for clinical trial support. A strong academic project portfolio or any internship with a San Diego biotech, even unpaid, moves a resume past the screening stage.
Which industries hire the most scientists in San Diego?
Most scientist openings in San Diego sit in Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Insurance, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Diego's position as one of the country's top three biotech hubs, anchored by decades of investment from institutions like the Salk Institute and Scripps Research, keeps life sciences and pharmaceutical demand consistently higher here than in most other U.S. markets.
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