Chemist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 186 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes South San Francisco, Berkeley, Hayward, Foster City, Menlo Park.
Also listed as: Quality Control Chemist, Analytical Chemist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $79,461 |
| 25th | $90,093 |
| 50th (median) | $124,630 |
| 75th | $150,275 |
| 90th | $159,680 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $87,917 | $66,310 | $114,325 | 70 |
| FY2021 | $87,360 | $73,403 | $114,400 | 89 |
| FY2022 | $110,000 | $82,000 | $129,146 | 124 |
| FY2023 | $115,000 | $84,500 | $125,000 | 109 |
| FY2024 | $119,600 | $91,942 | $138,828 | 87 |
| FY2025 | $121,000 | $87,360 | $152,950 | 106 |
| FY2026 | $124,842 | $101,546 | $150,013 | 80 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Chemist salary of $124,630 is worth about $107,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Chemists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $127,790 in May 2025 (2,180 employed). The H-1B median here is $124,630, 2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gilead Sciences | $148,117 | 23 |
| University of California, Berkeley | $82,836 | 18 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $86,052 | 13 |
| Allure Labs | $114,000 | 12 |
| Genentech | $144,900 | 10 |
| Arcus Biosciences | too few | 8 |
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | too few | 7 |
| Amgen | too few | 5 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 5 |
| Cytokinetics | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $81,635 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $110,753 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $141,500 | 41 |
| Expert · Level IV | $152,984 | 40 |
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 | $80,870 | $81,635 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,915 | $110,753 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,842 | $141,500 | 41 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,117 | $152,984 | 40 |
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.