Biochemist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 478 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes South San Francisco, Berkeley, Foster City, San Carlos, Pleasanton.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $74,382 |
| 25th | $81,691 |
| 50th (median) | $102,400 |
| 75th | $132,117 |
| 90th | $158,480 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $72,900 | $62,535 | $90,600 | 329 |
| FY2021 | $78,200 | $65,292 | $110,000 | 314 |
| FY2022 | $85,000 | $66,600 | $120,461 | 330 |
| FY2023 | $91,300 | $71,952 | $120,400 | 311 |
| FY2024 | $89,024 | $77,327 | $125,040 | 305 |
| FY2025 | $100,900 | $80,034 | $125,000 | 311 |
| FY2026 | $104,416 | $83,218 | $140,949 | 167 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Biochemist salary of $102,400 is worth about $88,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $165,050 in May 2025 (1,380 employed). The H-1B median here is $102,400, 38% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| University of California, San Francisco | $81,806 | 186 |
| Gilead Sciences | $115,357 | 32 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $82,260 | 15 |
| Vaxcyte | $158,650 | 14 |
| University of California, Berkeley | $77,030 | 13 |
| Genentech | $116,429 | 12 |
| Nurix Therapeutics | $140,000 | 12 |
| 10x Genomics | too few | 9 |
| Amgen | too few | 7 |
| MRL San Francisco | 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 | $99,306 | 52 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $115,357 | 125 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,898 | 70 |
| Expert · Level IV | $175,000 | 25 |
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 | $88,670 | $99,306 | 52 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $112,882 | $115,357 | 125 |
| Senior · Level III | $137,072 | $141,898 | 70 |
| Expert · Level IV | $168,438 | $175,000 | 25 |
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.