Senior Electronics Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 36 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $162,344 |
| 25th | $166,504 |
| 50th (median) | $168,500 |
| 75th | $190,000 |
| 90th | $197,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $128,200 | $115,600 | $141,669 | 59 |
| FY2021 | $141,669 | $133,450 | $156,611 | 48 |
| FY2022 | $138,607 | $134,200 | $149,555 | 42 |
| FY2023 | $151,902 | $143,000 | $159,224 | 43 |
| FY2024 | $159,224 | $159,224 | $160,300 | 21 |
| FY2025 | $166,504 | $162,344 | $178,006 | 19 |
| FY2026 | $180,000 | $166,504 | $191,792 | 17 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Electronics Engineer salary of $168,500 is worth about $145,700 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 $168,500, 4% 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 | too few | 5 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 3 |
| Western Digital Technologies | too few | 3 |
| Vecima Technology | 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.