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 Bristol Myers Squibb, Intuit, and ByteDance. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.

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Overview

Open roles751+
Top employerBristol Myers Squibb
Work type56% On-site
Top credentialBachelor's degree
Companies hiring42

Showing 5 of 751+ Scientist jobs

Intuit
Staff Data Scientist
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Intuit
Added 1d ago
Staff Data Scientist
Intuit
San Diego, California
Business Operations
Business Strategy
Consulting & Professional Services
$194k - $263k/yr
10,000+

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Aspen Neuroscience
Scientist I, Microglia
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Aspen Neuroscience
Added 1d ago
Scientist I, Microglia
Aspen Neuroscience
San Diego, California
Business Operations
Compensation & Benefits
Human Resources (HR) — Generalist
$109k - $133k/yr
On-Site
Doctoral degree in biology

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A
Scientist, Protein Production and Characterization
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A
Added 1d ago
Scientist, Protein Production and Characterization
AlivaMab Discovery Services
San Diego, California
Business Operations
Compensation & Benefits
Human Resources (HR) — Generalist
$118k - $145k/yr
Doctoral degree in chemistry

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Thermo Fisher Scientific
FSP - Scientist - Transient Expression
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Thermo Fisher Scientific
Added 1d ago
FSP - Scientist - Transient Expression
Thermo Fisher Scientific
San Diego, California
Business Development
Partnerships & Business Development
Sales
$34 - $40.5/hr
Bachelor's degree in biology
10,000+

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Eurofins
Associate Formulations Scientist
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Eurofins
Added 2d ago
Associate Formulations Scientist
Eurofins
San Diego, California
Biotech & Life Sciences
Laboratory Research
Research & Academia
$52k - $56k/yr
Bachelor's degree
10,000+

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See All 751+ Scientist Jobs in San Diego

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Scientist Job Market in San Diego

Who's Hiring

  • Bristol Myers Squibb
    Bristol Myers Squibb47
  • Intuit
    Intuit35
  • ByteDance
    ByteDance35
  • Sharp HealthCare
    Sharp HealthCare35
  • Leidos
    Leidos23

Top Industries Hiring

  • Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals47
  • Education12
  • Chemicals & Materials12
  • Non-Profit & Social Services12

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 Bristol Myers Squibb, Intuit, and ByteDance, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 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 44% of scientist openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of August 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, Education, and Chemicals & Materials, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 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.

See All 751+ Scientist Jobs in San Diego

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