Environmental Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 51 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Menlo Park, Fremont.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $82,750 |
| 25th | $96,973 |
| 50th (median) | $115,000 |
| 75th | $150,863 |
| 90th | $174,523 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $99,950 | $90,152 | $126,476 | 36 |
| FY2021 | $96,054 | $79,290 | $110,000 | 28 |
| FY2022 | $113,500 | $100,880 | $135,000 | 41 |
| FY2023 | $110,053 | $101,502 | $123,886 | 23 |
| FY2024 | $112,700 | $94,200 | $136,053 | 30 |
| FY2025 | $114,608 | $97,460 | $156,480 | 32 |
| FY2026 | $121,680 | $97,540 | $141,973 | 19 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Environmental Engineer salary of $115,000 is worth about $99,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Environmental Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $138,840 in May 2025 (550 employed). The H-1B median here is $115,000, 17% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Geosyntec Consultants | too few | 5 |
| Energy and Environmental Economics | too few | 4 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 4 |
| University of California, Berkeley | too few | 4 |
| Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company | too few | 3 |
| Stantec Consulting Services | too few | 3 |
| WSP | too few | 2 |
| Bay Area Air Quality Management District | too few | 2 |
| GreenFire Energy | too few | 2 |
| Patch Technologies | 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 | $96,000 | 11 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $118,340 | 14 |
| Senior · Level III | $152,965 | 10 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
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 | $93,142 | $96,000 | 11 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $114,608 | $118,340 | 14 |
| Senior · Level III | $142,210 | $152,965 | 10 |
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.