Expert Computer Hardware Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 34 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Fremont, Foster City, Newark, Redwood City.
Also listed as: Hardware Development Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $210,193 |
| 25th | $211,932 |
| 50th (median) | $238,678 |
| 75th | $269,500 |
| 90th | $312,004 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $170,000 | $155,000 | $190,000 | 21 |
| FY2021 | $195,759 | $184,492 | $220,000 | 24 |
| FY2022 | $218,500 | $205,787 | $228,750 | 14 |
| FY2023 | $214,822 | $212,351 | $227,390 | 11 |
| FY2024 | $221,871 | $215,000 | $248,229 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $232,000 | $210,642 | $246,964 | 21 |
| FY2026 | $280,000 | $225,000 | $313,000 | 13 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Computer Hardware Engineer salary of $238,678 is worth about $206,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Hardware Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $203,890 in May 2025 (2,810 employed). The H-1B median here is $238,678, 17% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $237,356 | 17 |
| too few | 4 | |
| OpenAI OpCo | too few | 2 |
| Ouster | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $179,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $200,000 | 29 |
| Expert · Level IV | $238,678 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $159,016 | $179,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $177,986 | $200,000 | 29 |
| Expert · Level IV | $202,197 | $238,678 | 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.