Entry-level Civil Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 135 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasanton, San Mateo.
Also listed as: Structural Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $86,528 |
| 25th | $87,000 |
| 50th (median) | $92,934 |
| 75th | $97,880 |
| 90th | $110,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $75,000 | $73,528 | $81,000 | 117 |
| FY2021 | $80,000 | $77,147 | $85,140 | 91 |
| FY2022 | $80,475 | $78,270 | $85,925 | 98 |
| FY2023 | $83,533 | $79,414 | $88,975 | 74 |
| FY2024 | $84,240 | $83,533 | $89,268 | 64 |
| FY2025 | $90,600 | $86,528 | $97,958 | 87 |
| FY2026 | $92,934 | $92,934 | $97,461 | 48 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Civil Engineer salary of $92,934 is worth about $80,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Civil Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $130,160 in May 2025 (10,990 employed). The H-1B median here is $92,934, 29% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum | too few | 6 |
| Andrew M. Jordan | too few | 5 |
| Bay Cities Excavators | too few | 5 |
| T.Y. Lin International | too few | 5 |
| Kittelson & Associates | too few | 4 |
| PARADIGM Structural Engineers | too few | 4 |
| Arcadis | too few | 3 |
| BNBuilders | too few | 3 |
| Clune Construction Company | too few | 3 |
| DMZ Builders | 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 | $92,934 | 135 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $113,838 | 118 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,000 | 65 |
| Expert · Level IV | $165,247 | 34 |
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 | $86,528 | $92,934 | 135 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $106,163 | $113,838 | 118 |
| Senior · Level III | $134,763 | $138,000 | 65 |
| Expert · Level IV | $145,434 | $165,247 | 34 |
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.