Expert Backend Developer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 49 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes San Mateo, South San Francisco, Fremont, Redwood City, Pleasanton.
Median salary$225,000
Middle 50%$213.5k–$250k
vs. all levels here+18%comparison median $190,000
Filings49FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$150k$175k$200k$225k$250k$275k$300k$325k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $206,315 |
| 25th | $213,512 |
| 50th (median) | $225,000 |
| 75th | $250,000 |
| 90th | $278,356 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $170,000 | $158,375 | $185,000 | 47 |
| FY2021 | $180,000 | $170,000 | $206,700 | 55 |
| FY2022 | $194,550 | $180,000 | $205,750 | 58 |
| FY2023 | $192,941 | $183,310 | $215,197 | 33 |
| FY2024 | $216,599 | $215,197 | $225,869 | 18 |
| FY2025 | $222,108 | $210,000 | $259,157 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $232,575 | $213,512 | $250,000 | 24 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Backend Developer salary of $225,000 is worth about $194,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitus Systems | too few | 4 |
| Roblox | too few | 4 |
| Included Health | too few | 3 |
| Stripe | too few | 3 |
| Salesforce | too few | 2 |
| Snorkel AI | 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 | $135,700 | 33 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $170,000 | 44 |
| Senior · Level III | $199,000 | 58 |
| Expert · Level IV | $225,000 | 49 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.