Biomedical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 190 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Alameda, Berkeley, Pleasanton, South San Francisco, Redwood City.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $80,019 |
| 25th | $103,771 |
| 50th (median) | $134,691 |
| 75th | $156,270 |
| 90th | $174,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $107,250 | $85,000 | $125,416 | 110 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $100,000 | $141,294 | 123 |
| FY2022 | $123,000 | $101,566 | $148,741 | 129 |
| FY2023 | $120,000 | $100,651 | $145,000 | 125 |
| FY2024 | $130,000 | $109,928 | $150,571 | 137 |
| FY2025 | $131,560 | $98,154 | $150,571 | 98 |
| FY2026 | $139,601 | $110,061 | $161,636 | 92 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Biomedical Engineer salary of $134,691 is worth about $116,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $140,660 in May 2025 (650 employed). The H-1B median here is $134,691, 4% 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 | $79,881 | 25 |
| University of California, Berkeley | too few | 9 |
| Abbott Diabetes Care | too few | 8 |
| Labs for Humanity | too few | 8 |
| 10x Genomics | too few | 6 |
| Gilead Sciences | too few | 6 |
| Penumbra | too few | 5 |
| St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division | too few | 5 |
| Twist Bioscience | too few | 4 |
| BioMarin Pharmaceutical | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $103,771 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $122,000 | 34 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,889 | 48 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,353 | 48 |
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 | $93,558 | $103,771 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $121,264 | $122,000 | 34 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,778 | $138,889 | 48 |
| Expert · Level IV | $156,270 | $160,353 | 48 |
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.