Expert Engineering Director salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 75 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $249,205 |
| 25th | $250,000 |
| 50th (median) | $268,922 |
| 75th | $283,940 |
| 90th | $314,664 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $234,624 | $218,650 | $245,600 | 29 |
| FY2021 | $228,571 | $221,998 | $256,300 | 37 |
| FY2022 | $250,000 | $230,000 | $270,000 | 49 |
| FY2023 | $262,004 | $246,250 | $294,625 | 22 |
| FY2024 | $254,322 | $253,864 | $276,365 | 18 |
| FY2025 | $271,000 | $254,322 | $280,000 | 41 |
| FY2026 | $252,500 | $249,205 | $288,220 | 34 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Engineering Director salary of $268,922 is worth about $232,600 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 $268,922, 21% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $265,000 | 12 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 6 |
| Stripe | too few | 5 |
| Zoox | too few | 5 |
| Airbnb | too few | 3 |
| Tempo Labs | too few | 3 |
| Arena Intelligence | too few | 2 |
| Robinhood Markets | too few | 2 |
| Schneider Electric | too few | 2 |
| Snowflake | 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.