Architect salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 231 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Alameda, Fremont, Emeryville, Berkeley.
Also listed as: Project Architect, Architect Non Licensed
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $77,140 |
| 25th | $80,080 |
| 50th (median) | $87,360 |
| 75th | $101,939 |
| 90th | $115,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $68,100 | $60,000 | $79,602 | 133 |
| FY2021 | $69,000 | $62,959 | $82,035 | 105 |
| FY2022 | $80,000 | $68,000 | $87,000 | 126 |
| FY2023 | $82,400 | $80,080 | $95,000 | 102 |
| FY2024 | $85,696 | $80,080 | $96,670 | 111 |
| FY2025 | $85,800 | $84,302 | $98,000 | 125 |
| FY2026 | $90,000 | $80,080 | $109,554 | 106 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Architect salary of $87,360 is worth about $75,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Architects, Except Landscape and Naval in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $126,550 in May 2025 (3,780 employed). The H-1B median here is $87,360, 31% lower.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Perkins & Will | $79,768 | 16 |
| HDR Architecture | $111,114 | 14 |
| MBH Architects | $81,120 | 13 |
| SmithGroup, Inc., subsidiary of SmithGroup | $97,500 | 12 |
| Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum | too few | 9 |
| Handel Architects | too few | 8 |
| M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates | too few | 7 |
| Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | too few | 7 |
| Solomon Cordwell Buenz | too few | 7 |
| WRNS Studio | too few | 6 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $85,696 | 133 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $111,114 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,360 | 12 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $79,768 | $85,696 | 133 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,554 | $111,114 | 31 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,360 | $139,360 | 12 |
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.