Expert Industrial Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 265 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Newark, Foster City, Hayward, Menlo Park.
Also listed as: Manufacturing Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $155,750 |
| 25th | $160,000 |
| 50th (median) | $163,634 |
| 75th | $180,000 |
| 90th | $215,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $155,000 | $137,398 | $176,852 | 80 |
| FY2021 | $149,088 | $140,000 | $169,880 | 96 |
| FY2022 | $155,000 | $138,167 | $176,750 | 134 |
| FY2023 | $155,958 | $140,816 | $173,400 | 121 |
| FY2024 | $164,000 | $155,958 | $190,000 | 125 |
| FY2025 | $163,030 | $155,750 | $177,750 | 158 |
| FY2026 | $170,000 | $163,030 | $188,954 | 107 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Industrial Engineer salary of $163,634 is worth about $141,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Industrial Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $132,230 in May 2025 (5,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $163,634, 24% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zoox | $163,030 | 53 |
| Tesla | $176,413 | 42 |
| Lucid Motors | $163,030 | 31 |
| Meta | $219,653 | 19 |
| Zipline International | $170,000 | 11 |
| Dako Resources | too few | 7 |
| Genentech | too few | 5 |
| Gilead Sciences | too few | 5 |
| Dexterity | too few | 4 |
| Form Energy | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $98,494 | 168 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $127,511 | 341 |
| Senior · Level III | $146,125 | 319 |
| Expert · Level IV | $163,634 | 265 |
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 | $94,682 | $98,494 | 168 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $117,458 | $127,511 | 341 |
| Senior · Level III | $133,910 | $146,125 | 319 |
| Expert · Level IV | $163,030 | $163,634 | 265 |
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.