City report · November 2026
San Diego legal talent market
Supply of attorneys at private firms vs open roles, pay bands and net moves in San Diego. Aggregate figures only.
7,340attorneys at private firms
181open attorney roles
40.6attorneys per opening
29moves (12 mo)
0net moves for firms here
Los AngelesOrange CountySan DiegoSF Bay AreaSacramentoInland EmpireCentral ValleyCentral Coast & Ventura
Supply vs demand by practice
| Practice | Attorneys at firms | Open roles | Per opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Litigation (general civil) | 1,990 | 63 | 31.6 |
| Corporate, M&A & finance | 1,767 | 13 | 135.9 |
| Personal injury & med-mal | 1,180 | 14 | 84.3 |
| Real estate & land use | 1,065 | 14 | 76.1 |
| Employment & labor | 952 | 25 | 38.1 |
| Trusts, estates & elder | 912 | 14 | 65.1 |
| Government & regulatory | 835 | 9 | 92.8 |
| Family law | 600 | 10 | 60.0 |
| IP, tech & media | 595 | 11 | 54.1 |
| Insurance & insurance defense | 498 | 18 | 27.7 |
| Criminal & white collar | 434 | 7 | 62.0 |
| Bankruptcy & creditor | 288 | 0 | — |
| Immigration | 280 | 4 | 70.0 |
| Tax | 229 | 2 | 114.5 |
| Workers' compensation | 216 | 3 | 72.0 |
| ADR / mediation | 165 | 0 | — |
By experience band
| Experience | Attorneys at firms | Open roles | Est. base pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 yrs | 514 | 148 | $121k–$174k |
| 3–4 yrs | 446 | 162 | $137k–$198k |
| 5–8 yrs | 742 | 174 | $147k–$212k |
| 9–14 yrs | 1,193 | 163 | $145k–$209k |
| 15+ yrs | 4,445 | 162 | $145k–$209k |
Moves by practice
| Practice | Moves | Joins | Exits | Net | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litigation (general civil) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 | Balanced |
| Personal injury & med-mal | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | Balanced |
| Real estate & land use | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | Balanced |
| Corporate, M&A & finance | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | Balanced |
| Employment & labor | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Balanced |
| Trusts, estates & elder | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Balanced |
| Government & regulatory | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | Balanced |
| Workers' compensation | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Balanced |
| Insurance & insurance defense | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Balanced |
| Family law | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Balanced |
| IP, tech & media | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Balanced |
| Criminal & white collar | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Balanced |
| Immigration | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Too few moves to call |
| ADR / mediation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Too few moves to call |
Firms gaining the most
Not enough moves at firms with 10+ California attorneys yet.
Firms losing the most
| Firm | Joins | Exits | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson & Mendes LLP | 0 | 2 | -2 |
Pay: estimated base salary for a mid-size firm in this market (government wage surveys calibrated to posted pay ranges); not an offer.
About this data
- Experience is inferred from years since California bar admission, not from titles.
- A move is counted when public licensing records or a firm's own website show an attorney at a new employer. Licensing records update when attorneys file address changes, so moves can surface weeks or months after they happen; each move is dated when it was detected.
- Joins and exits count moves into and out of private law firms. A move between two firms counts as one exit and one join; moves to or from in-house and government roles change the net.
- Practice areas are self-reported on licensing records; an attorney who lists several practices counts under each.
- Figures cover the trailing 12 months and are refreshed as new records arrive. Small counts are noisy; tags need at least 3 moves.
Aggregate figures only; no individual attorney is named.