Mid-level Architect salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 31 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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

Median salary$111,114
Middle 50%$109.6k–$116k
vs. all levels here+27%comparison median $87,360
Filings31FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $109,554 and $123,854.
PercentileSalary
10th$109,554
25th$109,564
50th (median)$111,114
75th$116,000
90th$119,122

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $95k $120k FY2020: median $82,100 (23 filings) FY2021: median $83,928 (18 filings) FY2022: median $87,844 (40 filings) FY2023: median $103,556 (16 filings) FY2024: median $111,114 (15 filings) FY2025: median $112,507 (12 filings) FY2026: median $110,000 (19 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 23 filings FY20 FY2021: 18 filings FY21 FY2022: 40 filings FY22 FY2023: 16 filings FY23 FY2024: 15 filings FY24 FY2025: 12 filings FY25 FY2026: 19 filings FY26 40
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$82,100$79,810$90,00023
FY2021$83,928$82,035$93,10218
FY2022$87,844$83,871$96,45640
FY2023$103,556$97,900$111,25016
FY2024$111,114$106,960$113,63515
FY2025$112,507$111,114$115,87412
FY2026$110,000$109,554$115,79419

Cost of living

San Francisco's median mid-level Architect salary of $111,114 is worth about $96,100 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 $111,114, 12% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
HDR Architecturetoo few9
Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaumtoo few3
Klopf Architecturetoo few2
Valuable Capital Investment Architecturetoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$79,768$85,696133
Mid-level · Level II$109,554$111,11431
Senior · Level III$139,360$139,36012

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.