HR Specialist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 55 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Pleasanton, San Mateo, San Carlos, Berkeley.
Also listed as: Recruiter
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $71,995 |
| 25th | $90,823 |
| 50th (median) | $120,000 |
| 75th | $150,550 |
| 90th | $190,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $85,500 | $71,000 | $107,768 | 63 |
| FY2021 | $92,308 | $75,629 | $125,372 | 57 |
| FY2022 | $105,869 | $79,500 | $136,253 | 44 |
| FY2023 | $100,000 | $86,000 | $125,000 | 25 |
| FY2024 | $105,000 | $83,283 | $133,000 | 35 |
| FY2025 | $117,258 | $90,000 | $144,591 | 24 |
| FY2026 | $132,080 | $100,000 | $158,536 | 31 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median HR Specialist salary of $120,000 is worth about $103,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Human Resources Specialists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $103,140 in May 2025 (16,420 employed). The H-1B median here is $120,000, 16% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Uber | too few | 3 |
| Airbnb | too few | 3 |
| Intellipro Group | too few | 3 |
| Weee! | too few | 3 |
| Fireworks.ai | too few | 2 |
| Litmus7 Systems Consulting | too few | 2 |
| Plaud | too few | 2 |
| The Sphere Institute | too few | 2 |
| Zipline International | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,000 | 15 |
| Senior · Level III | $140,000 | 13 |
| Expert · Level IV | $155,500 | 17 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $90,210 | $100,000 | 15 |
| Senior · Level III | $112,486 | $140,000 | 13 |
| Expert · Level IV | $134,742 | $155,500 | 17 |
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.