Cognizant salaries in San Francisco, CA
Based on 366 certified H-1B filings by Cognizant in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Base salary only.
Median salary$139,589
Middle 50%$135.7k–$150.4k
vs. all employers here−18%comparison median $170,000
Filings366FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All employers here
$100k$110k$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k$170k$180k$190k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $111,363 |
| 25th | $135,741 |
| 50th (median) | $139,589 |
| 75th | $150,405 |
| 90th | $173,638 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $117,770 | $101,379 | $118,331 | 906 |
| FY2021 | $113,755 | $101,338 | $121,306 | 425 |
| FY2022 | $125,362 | $104,021 | $131,498 | 333 |
| FY2023 | $131,498 | $115,066 | $146,266 | 398 |
| FY2024 | $140,358 | $115,066 | $148,450 | 288 |
| FY2025 | $139,589 | $135,741 | $150,405 | 243 |
| FY2026 | $150,405 | $138,445 | $150,405 | 123 |
By job
| Job | Median here | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Systems Engineer / Architect | $141,000 | 269 |
| QA Engineer | $135,741 | 59 |
| Data Engineer | too few | 9 |
| Network Administrator | too few | 7 |
| Software Engineer | too few | 5 |
| Project Manager | too few | 4 |
| Information Security Analyst | too few | 4 |
| Database Administrator | too few | 4 |
| Programmer Analyst | too few | 2 |
| Data Scientist | too few | 2 |
Jobs with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings; links go to all employers for that job in San Francisco, CA.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $111,363 | 84 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,589 | 224 |
| Expert · Level IV | $173,638 | 58 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.