Mid-level Graphic Designer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 96 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, San Bruno, Fremont, San Mateo.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $80,000 |
| 25th | $80,891 |
| 50th (median) | $114,813 |
| 75th | $149,444 |
| 90th | $170,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $105,000 | $65,000 | $132,500 | 93 |
| FY2021 | $107,000 | $88,649 | $141,500 | 71 |
| FY2022 | $112,000 | $71,250 | $137,966 | 98 |
| FY2023 | $105,060 | $70,000 | $140,300 | 83 |
| FY2024 | $127,963 | $89,200 | $145,000 | 48 |
| FY2025 | $118,300 | $81,141 | $147,138 | 58 |
| FY2026 | $101,532 | $80,918 | $149,206 | 38 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level Graphic Designer salary of $114,813 is worth about $99,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Graphic Designers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $92,050 in May 2025 (3,870 employed). The H-1B median here is $114,813, 25% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $156,500 | 16 |
| too few | 6 | |
| too few | 6 | |
| Meta | too few | 4 |
| Visa | too few | 3 |
| Core Software Technologies | too few | 3 |
| OpenAI OpCo | too few | 3 |
| Workday | too few | 3 |
| Discreet Vision | too few | 2 |
| Ideo | 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 | $63,188 | 36 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $114,813 | 96 |
| Senior · Level III | $149,750 | 66 |
| Expert · Level IV | $193,550 | 123 |
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 | $56,077 | $63,188 | 36 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $75,650 | $114,813 | 96 |
| Senior · Level III | $95,202 | $149,750 | 66 |
| Expert · Level IV | $114,774 | $193,550 | 123 |
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.