Chemical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 97 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro, Emeryville.
Also listed as: Process Engineer
Median salary$130,000
Middle 50%$106k–$155k
vs. national median+10%comparison median $118,700
Filings97FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $80,192 |
| 25th | $105,995 |
| 50th (median) | $130,000 |
| 75th | $155,000 |
| 90th | $174,875 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,300 | $80,750 | $124,500 | 51 |
| FY2021 | $110,000 | $94,141 | $120,000 | 56 |
| FY2022 | $120,000 | $100,000 | $135,000 | 83 |
| FY2023 | $122,870 | $97,571 | $148,750 | 46 |
| FY2024 | $126,006 | $110,511 | $142,744 | 64 |
| FY2025 | $128,696 | $103,988 | $149,626 | 58 |
| FY2026 | $146,700 | $110,160 | $158,500 | 39 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Chemical Engineer salary of $130,000 is worth about $112,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Western Digital Technologies | $162,344 | 11 |
| University of California, Berkeley | too few | 9 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 8 |
| Tesla | too few | 7 |
| Anthro Energy | too few | 4 |
| Lam Research | too few | 4 |
| Ammobia | too few | 3 |
| Bayer HealthCare | too few | 3 |
| FormFactor | too few | 3 |
| Quino Energy | 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 | too few | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,574 | 24 |
| Senior · Level III | $146,700 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $161,000 | 28 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $105,955 | $109,574 | 24 |
| Senior · Level III | $128,211 | $146,700 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $150,467 | $161,000 | 28 |
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.