Data Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 472 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Fremont, Foster City, San Mateo, San Ramon.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $143,790 |
| 25th | $169,240 |
| 50th (median) | $190,140 |
| 75th | $217,944 |
| 90th | $244,900 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $119,161 | $95,416 | $140,000 | 32 |
| FY2021 | $141,851 | $120,931 | $170,000 | 60 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $140,000 | $190,000 | 209 |
| FY2023 | $175,904 | $147,750 | $199,920 | 228 |
| FY2024 | $177,390 | $153,650 | $200,000 | 247 |
| FY2025 | $182,583 | $160,000 | $207,862 | 271 |
| FY2026 | $204,214 | $177,632 | $227,358 | 201 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Data Engineer salary of $190,140 is worth about $164,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Architects in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $175,860 in May 2025 (1,600 employed). The H-1B median here is $190,140, 8% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $215,085 | 134 |
| Salesforce | $233,500 | 19 |
| Tesla | $165,652 | 15 |
| Chime Financial | $215,000 | 12 |
| Cognizant | too few | 9 |
| Visa | too few | 9 |
| Stitch Fix | too few | 9 |
| Zoox | too few | 9 |
| Amazon | too few | 7 |
| Snowflake | too few | 7 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $130,700 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $157,350 | 108 |
| Senior · Level III | $188,916 | 126 |
| Expert · Level IV | $219,010 | 162 |
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 | $124,488 | $130,700 | 28 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $143,790 | $157,350 | 108 |
| Senior · Level III | $177,632 | $188,916 | 126 |
| Expert · Level IV | $204,214 | $219,010 | 162 |
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.