Foreign Language Professor salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Berkeley.

Also listed as: Foreign Language Instructor, Assistant Professor of Spanish

Median salary$93,305
Middle 50%$74.5k–$105.8k
vs. national median+35%comparison median $69,336
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $68,517 and $118,108.
PercentileSalary
10th$70,940
25th$74,530
50th (median)$93,305
75th$105,829
90th$115,033

Cost of living

San Francisco's median Foreign Language Professor salary of $93,305 is worth about $80,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $115,040 in May 2025 (240 employed). The H-1B median here is $93,305, 19% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
University of California, Berkeley$93,30512

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 2
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.