Data Scientist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 3,920 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Fremont, San Bruno, San Mateo, Foster City.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $120,669 |
| 25th | $140,000 |
| 50th (median) | $170,000 |
| 75th | $198,728 |
| 90th | $230,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,579 | $106,460 | $150,000 | 324 |
| FY2021 | $138,412 | $116,043 | $160,000 | 445 |
| FY2022 | $150,000 | $125,486 | $173,250 | 897 |
| FY2023 | $154,620 | $130,416 | $180,000 | 1,638 |
| FY2024 | $164,000 | $131,484 | $190,000 | 1,844 |
| FY2025 | $166,589 | $137,841 | $195,000 | 2,178 |
| FY2026 | $174,304 | $143,276 | $200,075 | 1,742 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Data Scientist salary of $170,000 is worth about $147,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $170,110 in May 2025 (10,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $170,000, 0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $192,105 | 569 |
| Walmart | $143,000 | 178 |
| $187,000 | 133 | |
| Uber | $167,950 | 108 |
| Tesla | $163,532 | 99 |
| Amazon | $173,000 | 78 |
| Adobe | $164,403 | 73 |
| Visa | $188,885 | 63 |
| Roblox | $273,070 | 47 |
| C3.ai | $164,403 | 45 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $115,000 | 513 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $150,000 | 1,174 |
| Senior · Level III | $178,651 | 907 |
| Expert · Level IV | $214,061 | 850 |
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 | $103,522 | $115,000 | 513 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $128,398 | $150,000 | 1,174 |
| Senior · Level III | $164,403 | $178,651 | 907 |
| Expert · Level IV | $194,834 | $214,061 | 850 |
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.