Mid-level Architectural and Civil Drafter salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Alameda, Danville, Larkspur, Menlo Park.

Also listed as: Architectural Drafter

Median salary$76,742
Middle 50%$75k–$80k
vs. all levels here−4%comparison median $79,976
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $72,356 and $88,109.
PercentileSalary
10th$73,020
25th$75,000
50th (median)$76,742
75th$80,000
90th$82,880

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $65,000 (31 filings) FY2021: median $65,000 (17 filings) FY2022: median $64,480 (15 filings) FY2023: median $73,000 (15 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 31 filings FY20 FY2021: 17 filings FY21 FY2022: 15 filings FY22 FY2023: 15 filings FY23 FY2024: 9 filings FY24 FY2025: 7 filings FY25 FY2026: 5 filings FY26 31
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$65,000$61,950$70,00031
FY2021$65,000$60,570$67,10017
FY2022$64,480$60,570$68,32015
FY2023$73,000$66,780$75,19215
FY2024–––9
FY2025–––7
FY2026–––5

Cost of living

San Francisco's median mid-level Architectural and Civil Drafter salary of $76,742 is worth about $66,400 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Architectural and Civil Drafters in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $81,130 in May 2025 (1,750 employed). The H-1B median here is $76,742, 5% 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
International Parking Designtoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 4
Mid-level · Level II $76,742 12
Senior · Level III – 0
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
Mid-level · Level II$72,301$76,74212

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.