CEO salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 67 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Berkeley, Burlingame, Fremont, San Mateo.
Also listed as: Chief Executive
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $131,800 |
| 25th | $153,000 |
| 50th (median) | $236,900 |
| 75th | $300,000 |
| 90th | $324,975 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2021 | $248,365 | $225,000 | $312,500 | 20 |
| FY2022 | $208,000 | $130,000 | $287,394 | 33 |
| FY2023 | $250,000 | $155,000 | $315,000 | 25 |
| FY2024 | $239,600 | $229,700 | $352,500 | 32 |
| FY2025 | $228,218 | $150,000 | $287,500 | 55 |
| FY2026 | $282,500 | $239,800 | $324,426 | 12 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median CEO salary of $236,900 is worth about $204,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Chief Executives in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $239,200+ in May 2025 (5,190 employed). The H-1B median here is $236,900, 18% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hayden AI Technologies | too few | 3 |
| Lifelink Systems | too few | 3 |
| About Intelligence | too few | 2 |
| Aehl | too few | 2 |
| Animal & Vegan Advocacy International | too few | 2 |
| Full Meals Technology | too few | 2 |
| Owner.com | too few | 2 |
| Scanit Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Spot 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 | $144,225 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $253,550 | 18 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
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 | $131,477 | $144,225 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $228,218 | $253,550 | 18 |
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.