Senior Engineering Director salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 90 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $215,966 |
| 25th | $216,250 |
| 50th (median) | $237,457 |
| 75th | $250,000 |
| 90th | $264,879 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $200,000 | $186,750 | $222,400 | 53 |
| FY2021 | $203,320 | $190,000 | $217,608 | 41 |
| FY2022 | $210,000 | $193,045 | $227,214 | 55 |
| FY2023 | $218,254 | $205,733 | $234,194 | 35 |
| FY2024 | $220,260 | $218,254 | $239,800 | 34 |
| FY2025 | $243,628 | $220,106 | $256,899 | 48 |
| FY2026 | $218,250 | $215,966 | $245,000 | 42 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Engineering Director salary of $237,457 is worth about $205,400 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 $237,457, 7% 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 | $215,966 | 14 |
| Meta | $256,762 | 14 |
| Airbnb | too few | 3 |
| Zoox | too few | 3 |
| Autodesk | too few | 2 |
| DocuSign | too few | 2 |
| DoorDash | too few | 2 |
| Lam Research | too few | 2 |
| NumberAI | too few | 2 |
| Promaxo | 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.