Senior Industrial Designer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 21 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, San Mateo, Newark, Redwood City, Livermore.
Also listed as: Technical Designer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $126,875 |
| 25th | $145,000 |
| 50th (median) | $168,000 |
| 75th | $190,700 |
| 90th | $250,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $104,000 | $92,500 | $140,000 | 31 |
| FY2021 | $135,500 | $111,250 | $157,000 | 24 |
| FY2022 | $141,000 | $107,500 | $160,718 | 24 |
| FY2023 | $125,000 | $111,500 | $138,750 | 10 |
| FY2024 | $157,500 | $128,725 | $177,035 | 20 |
| FY2025 | $160,000 | $145,000 | $181,900 | 17 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 4 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Industrial Designer salary of $168,000 is worth about $145,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Commercial and Industrial Designers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $104,000 in May 2025 (1,250 employed). The H-1B median here is $168,000, 62% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | too few | 2 |
| Mill Industries | too few | 2 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | 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 | $73,900 | 14 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $168,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $164,286 | 42 |
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 | $67,434 | $73,900 | 14 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $90,938 | $95,000 | 37 |
| Senior · Level III | $114,442 | $168,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $129,771 | $164,286 | 42 |
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.