Engineering Director salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 340 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Newark, Menlo Park, Foster City, San Mateo.
Also listed as: Architectural and Engineering Manager, Manager Hardware Engineering
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $164,775 |
| 25th | $185,910 |
| 50th (median) | $215,966 |
| 75th | $250,000 |
| 90th | $275,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $184,122 | $149,880 | $211,225 | 179 |
| FY2021 | $186,493 | $152,962 | $221,998 | 188 |
| FY2022 | $193,045 | $157,664 | $228,426 | 210 |
| FY2023 | $190,000 | $173,326 | $220,000 | 154 |
| FY2024 | $200,000 | $175,000 | $234,750 | 146 |
| FY2025 | $215,966 | $185,253 | $254,322 | 195 |
| FY2026 | $215,966 | $190,000 | $249,205 | 145 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Engineering Director salary of $215,966 is worth about $186,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Architectural and Engineering Managers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $221,580 in May 2025 (5,000 employed). The H-1B median here is $215,966, 3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Motors | $204,826 | 45 |
| Meta | $258,524 | 31 |
| Zoox | $189,635 | 20 |
| Lam Research | $182,728 | 15 |
| Airbnb | $204,000 | 13 |
| Lyft | $180,000 | 11 |
| Tesla | too few | 9 |
| Stripe | too few | 6 |
| Robinhood Markets | too few | 5 |
| LendingClub Bank National Association | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $163,875 | 52 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $193,500 | 99 |
| Senior · Level III | $237,457 | 90 |
| Expert · Level IV | $268,922 | 75 |
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 | $151,694 | $163,875 | 52 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $182,728 | $193,500 | 99 |
| Senior · Level III | $215,966 | $237,457 | 90 |
| Expert · Level IV | $249,205 | $268,922 | 75 |
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.