Senior Electrical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 118 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $150,259 |
| 25th | $160,930 |
| 50th (median) | $162,406 |
| 75th | $175,000 |
| 90th | $200,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,997 | $115,000 | $134,382 | 66 |
| FY2021 | $135,100 | $125,002 | $150,000 | 106 |
| FY2022 | $137,668 | $130,000 | $150,488 | 87 |
| FY2023 | $145,000 | $133,900 | $165,350 | 64 |
| FY2024 | $163,924 | $161,221 | $182,664 | 60 |
| FY2025 | $160,930 | $150,259 | $170,000 | 57 |
| FY2026 | $165,006 | $160,930 | $180,000 | 61 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Electrical Engineer salary of $162,406 is worth about $140,500 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 $162,406, 2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | $169,150 | 20 |
| Lucid Motors | $160,930 | 16 |
| Lam Research | too few | 5 |
| Zoox | too few | 5 |
| Meta | too few | 4 |
| Amperesand | too few | 3 |
| Aehr Test Systems | too few | 2 |
| Cruise | too few | 2 |
| Hitachi Rail STS | too few | 2 |
| Joby Aero | 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 | $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.