Entry-level Architect salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 133 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I 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 | $79,768 |
| 25th | $82,000 |
| 50th (median) | $85,696 |
| 75th | $92,000 |
| 90th | $100,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $62,002 | $59,218 | $68,004 | 84 |
| FY2021 | $65,000 | $60,686 | $68,000 | 60 |
| FY2022 | $70,000 | $61,000 | $77,355 | 69 |
| FY2023 | $83,200 | $81,557 | $90,000 | 51 |
| FY2024 | $85,696 | $80,080 | $92,932 | 66 |
| FY2025 | $85,750 | $85,696 | $94,240 | 72 |
| FY2026 | $85,000 | $80,000 | $91,999 | 61 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Architect salary of $85,696 is worth about $74,100 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 $85,696, 32% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Perkins & Will | $83,848 | 10 |
| SmithGroup, Inc., subsidiary of SmithGroup | $97,500 | 10 |
| Handel Architects | too few | 7 |
| Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum | too few | 5 |
| KTGY Group | too few | 5 |
| HDR Architecture | too few | 4 |
| Solomon Cordwell Buenz | too few | 4 |
| Stantec Architecture | too few | 4 |
| Boulder Associates | too few | 3 |
| Backen & Backen | too few | 2 |
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.