Expert Data Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 162 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, San Mateo, San Ramon.
Also listed as: Database Architect, Data Architect
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $197,995 |
| 25th | $204,214 |
| 50th (median) | $219,010 |
| 75th | $240,000 |
| 90th | $262,213 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | $175,000 | $166,500 | $200,000 | 19 |
| FY2022 | $190,000 | $168,000 | $203,200 | 82 |
| FY2023 | $208,509 | $199,920 | $228,850 | 58 |
| FY2024 | $206,929 | $199,920 | $221,616 | 67 |
| FY2025 | $216,286 | $200,000 | $229,034 | 74 |
| FY2026 | $221,856 | $205,238 | $253,820 | 88 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Data Engineer salary of $219,010 is worth about $189,400 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 $219,010, 25% 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 | $227,000 | 64 |
| Chime Financial | too few | 9 |
| Salesforce | too few | 7 |
| Zoox | too few | 6 |
| IBM | too few | 3 |
| Crunchyroll | too few | 3 |
| Stitch Fix | too few | 3 |
| Accenture | too few | 2 |
| NTT DATA | too few | 2 |
| Visa | 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 | $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.