Expert Electronics Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 55 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Newark, San Mateo, Foster City, Alameda.
Also listed as: Hardware Engineer, Hardware Engineer Electronics
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $191,506 |
| 25th | $197,558 |
| 50th (median) | $205,514 |
| 75th | $233,000 |
| 90th | $278,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $149,734 | $130,350 | $176,250 | 42 |
| FY2021 | $172,245 | $160,000 | $190,000 | 61 |
| FY2022 | $172,123 | $164,800 | $196,180 | 74 |
| FY2023 | $188,926 | $169,000 | $192,899 | 29 |
| FY2024 | $195,700 | $188,926 | $220,000 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $204,901 | $191,506 | $219,221 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $210,870 | $197,558 | $238,500 | 30 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Electronics Engineer salary of $205,514 is worth about $177,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Electronics Engineers, Except Computer in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $162,440 in May 2025 (2,000 employed). The H-1B median here is $205,514, 27% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Motors | $191,506 | 13 |
| Meta | too few | 5 |
| Sandisk Technologies | too few | 5 |
| Skydio | too few | 4 |
| Block | too few | 3 |
| Siemens | too few | 2 |
| Epia Neuro | too few | 2 |
| Western Digital Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Zoox | 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 | $112,091 | 27 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $136,505 | 53 |
| Senior · Level III | $168,500 | 36 |
| Expert · Level IV | $205,514 | 55 |
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 | $104,374 | $112,091 | 27 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $135,429 | $136,505 | 53 |
| Senior · Level III | $166,504 | $168,500 | 36 |
| Expert · Level IV | $197,558 | $205,514 | 55 |
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.