Accountant salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 962 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes San Mateo, Fremont, Menlo Park, Walnut Creek, Foster City.

Also listed as: Auditor, Tax Accountant

Median salary$121,680
Middle 50%$97.9k–$150k
vs. national median+28%comparison median $94,973
Filings962FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $75,254 and $294,085.
PercentileSalary
10th$85,000
25th$97,926
50th (median)$121,680
75th$150,000
90th$185,972

Salary by year

Median salary

$80k $110k $140k FY2020: median $90,000 (707 filings) FY2021: median $92,960 (688 filings) FY2022: median $104,000 (685 filings) FY2023: median $105,097 (653 filings) FY2024: median $113,818 (627 filings) FY2025: median $118,000 (607 filings) FY2026: median $125,840 (355 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 707 filings FY20 FY2021: 688 filings FY21 FY2022: 685 filings FY22 FY2023: 653 filings FY23 FY2024: 627 filings FY24 FY2025: 607 filings FY25 FY2026: 355 filings FY26 707
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$90,000$72,000$110,000707
FY2021$92,960$76,523$115,000688
FY2022$104,000$80,683$130,000685
FY2023$105,097$85,000$130,077653
FY2024$113,818$86,589$142,450627
FY2025$118,000$96,491$147,542607
FY2026$125,840$100,000$156,000355

Cost of living

San Francisco's median Accountant salary of $121,680 is worth about $105,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Accountants and Auditors in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $110,730 in May 2025 (25,170 employed). The H-1B median here is $121,680, 10% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
EY$127,876332
Deloitte$97,926124
Grant Thornton Advisors$117,30027
Standish Management$91,75022
Kpmg$140,50016
PwC$143,00015
PwC US Tax$197,00014
Bdo$134,40013
Uber$157,70012
Armanino Advisorytoo few8

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $85,800 215
Mid-level · Level II $109,716 308
Senior · Level III $145,220 210
Expert · Level IV $164,500 212

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$75,254$85,800215
Mid-level · Level II$96,491$109,716308
Senior · Level III$117,707$145,220210
Expert · Level IV$141,378$164,500212

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.