Electrical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 473 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Newark, Foster City, Menlo Park, Oakland.
Also listed as: Electrical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $107,182 |
| 25th | $132,000 |
| 50th (median) | $159,500 |
| 75th | $180,000 |
| 90th | $200,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $115,000 | $95,000 | $144,750 | 298 |
| FY2021 | $130,000 | $106,884 | $150,000 | 360 |
| FY2022 | $131,389 | $110,000 | $155,000 | 324 |
| FY2023 | $135,000 | $112,253 | $165,000 | 304 |
| FY2024 | $150,000 | $127,234 | $169,561 | 252 |
| FY2025 | $150,259 | $124,842 | $175,656 | 273 |
| FY2026 | $160,965 | $134,056 | $187,803 | 200 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Electrical Engineer salary of $159,500 is worth about $138,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Electrical Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $166,030 in May 2025 (2,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $159,500, 4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | $164,611 | 64 |
| Lucid Motors | $160,930 | 29 |
| Zoox | $176,000 | 28 |
| Lam Research | $134,056 | 19 |
| Meta | $190,402 | 18 |
| Siemens | too few | 9 |
| Amperesand | too few | 7 |
| Black & Veatch | too few | 7 |
| Hitachi Rail STS | too few | 7 |
| FormFactor | too few | 5 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $107,182 | 70 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $135,000 | 125 |
| Senior · Level III | $162,406 | 118 |
| Expert · Level IV | $187,803 | 112 |
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 | $99,445 | $107,182 | 70 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $124,842 | $135,000 | 125 |
| Senior · Level III | $160,930 | $162,406 | 118 |
| Expert · Level IV | $187,803 | $187,803 | 112 |
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.