Entry-level Engineering Director salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 52 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I 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 | $149,490 |
| 25th | $151,694 |
| 50th (median) | $163,875 |
| 75th | $178,007 |
| 90th | $193,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,000 | $115,086 | $135,000 | 21 |
| FY2021 | $125,000 | $120,431 | $135,000 | 22 |
| FY2022 | $140,795 | $122,625 | $144,590 | 30 |
| FY2023 | $150,000 | $140,920 | $163,500 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $151,694 | $147,035 | $168,000 | 33 |
| FY2025 | $172,000 | $152,500 | $175,461 | 34 |
| FY2026 | $150,000 | $149,490 | $178,907 | 18 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Engineering Director salary of $163,875 is worth about $141,700 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 $163,875, 26% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Research | too few | 7 |
| Lyft | too few | 6 |
| Quanta Manufacturing Nashville | too few | 4 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 2 |
| Airbnb | too few | 2 |
| March Capital Management | too few | 2 |
| Sila Nanotechnologies | 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 | $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.