Senior Environmental Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 10 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Menlo Park, Fremont.

Median salary$152,965
Middle 50%$142.2k–$156.8k
vs. all levels here+33%comparison median $115,000
Filings10FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $137,469 and $189,323.
PercentileSalary
10th$141,689
25th$142,210
50th (median)$152,965
75th$156,804
90th$176,574

Cost of living

San Francisco's median senior Environmental Engineer salary of $152,965 is worth about $132,300 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 $152,965, 10% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Energy and Environmental Economicstoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$93,142$96,00011
Mid-level · Level II$114,608$118,34014
Senior · Level III$142,210$152,96510

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.