Expert Data Scientist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 850 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $193,090 |
| 25th | $195,000 |
| 50th (median) | $214,061 |
| 75th | $238,000 |
| 90th | $270,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $156,749 | $135,262 | $180,000 | 39 |
| FY2021 | $178,525 | $156,250 | $200,000 | 74 |
| FY2022 | $188,500 | $175,000 | $201,658 | 202 |
| FY2023 | $195,938 | $184,481 | $217,600 | 310 |
| FY2024 | $209,720 | $190,000 | $227,743 | 338 |
| FY2025 | $215,000 | $196,100 | $235,000 | 467 |
| FY2026 | $210,000 | $194,867 | $240,000 | 383 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Data Scientist salary of $214,061 is worth about $185,200 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 $214,061, 26% 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 | $225,000 | 157 |
| Visa | $194,834 | 33 |
| $222,000 | 32 | |
| Roblox | $301,400 | 22 |
| DocuSign | $203,500 | 15 |
| Block | $232,500 | 14 |
| Discord | $252,669 | 13 |
| Tesla | $210,600 | 13 |
| Uber | $204,931 | 12 |
| DoorDash | $214,168 | 12 |
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.