Expert Database Administrator salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 92 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Redwood City, Pleasanton, Dublin, Oakland.
Also listed as: DBA
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $152,110 |
| 25th | $152,256 |
| 50th (median) | $160,233 |
| 75th | $199,563 |
| 90th | $220,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $132,487 | $128,856 | $155,469 | 84 |
| FY2021 | $144,103 | $130,125 | $172,750 | 64 |
| FY2022 | $162,240 | $143,291 | $184,800 | 53 |
| FY2023 | $164,685 | $143,380 | $180,000 | 53 |
| FY2024 | $161,500 | $154,835 | $194,800 | 41 |
| FY2025 | $160,000 | $152,256 | $200,000 | 53 |
| FY2026 | $168,800 | $152,110 | $192,500 | 39 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Database Administrator salary of $160,233 is worth about $138,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Administrators in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $127,760 in May 2025 (1,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $160,233, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| EY | $210,238 | 10 |
| Qualys | too few | 4 |
| Snowflake | too few | 4 |
| Maplebear | too few | 3 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | too few | 3 |
| Zum Services | too few | 3 |
| Cognizant | too few | 2 |
| Meta | too few | 2 |
| Optum | too few | 2 |
| Salesforce | 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 | $83,000 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $118,457 | 162 |
| Senior · Level III | $148,000 | 81 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,233 | 92 |
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 | $68,744 | $83,000 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $96,574 | $118,457 | 162 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,426 | $148,000 | 81 |
| Expert · Level IV | $152,110 | $160,233 | 92 |
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.