Senior Graphic Designer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 66 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $98,880 |
| 25th | $108,500 |
| 50th (median) | $149,750 |
| 75th | $173,525 |
| 90th | $196,547 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $126,000 | $80,750 | $148,586 | 92 |
| FY2021 | $129,000 | $83,122 | $155,750 | 78 |
| FY2022 | $155,000 | $124,779 | $174,250 | 88 |
| FY2023 | $146,000 | $100,000 | $171,000 | 61 |
| FY2024 | $154,000 | $117,750 | $180,654 | 50 |
| FY2025 | $139,000 | $105,202 | $172,700 | 45 |
| FY2026 | $150,000 | $110,000 | $180,000 | 21 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Graphic Designer salary of $149,750 is worth about $129,500 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 $149,750, 63% 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 | too few | 8 |
| too few | 6 | |
| Salesforce | too few | 4 |
| Uber | too few | 2 |
| Adobe | too few | 2 |
| Chinese for Affirmative Action | too few | 2 |
| Lyft | too few | 2 |
| Samsung Research America | too few | 2 |
| Visual Concepts Entertainment | too few | 2 |
| Walmart | 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.