Mid-level Data Scientist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 1,174 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $128,398 |
| 25th | $133,952 |
| 50th (median) | $150,000 |
| 75th | $173,198 |
| 90th | $190,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $110,926 | $98,000 | $125,000 | 138 |
| FY2021 | $121,000 | $100,900 | $130,000 | 147 |
| FY2022 | $126,277 | $110,125 | $143,937 | 295 |
| FY2023 | $139,650 | $126,277 | $150,000 | 562 |
| FY2024 | $140,000 | $120,000 | $164,170 | 583 |
| FY2025 | $149,200 | $130,000 | $170,150 | 707 |
| FY2026 | $150,000 | $134,000 | $174,352 | 467 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level Data Scientist salary of $150,000 is worth about $129,700 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 $150,000, 12% lower.
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 | $181,151 | 137 |
| $160,500 | 46 | |
| Tesla | $150,000 | 40 |
| Amazon | $160,900 | 31 |
| Adobe | $162,750 | 27 |
| Uber | $156,300 | 26 |
| C3.ai | $155,000 | 26 |
| $161,502 | 22 | |
| Visa | $137,400 | 17 |
| Airbnb | $151,000 | 15 |
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.