Entry-level Interior Designer salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 23 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Concord, Fremont, Livermore, Pleasanton, Burlingame.

Also listed as: Lighting Designer

Median salary$70,499
Middle 50%$64.2k–$74.9k
vs. all levels here−12%comparison median $80,000
Filings23FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $62,733 and $101,260.
PercentileSalary
10th$62,733
25th$64,220
50th (median)$70,499
75th$74,940
90th$77,683

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2022: median $60,000 (13 filings) FY2024: median $64,500 (12 filings) FY2025: median $70,499 (15 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 8 filings FY20 FY2021: 5 filings FY21 FY2022: 13 filings FY22 FY2023: 7 filings FY23 FY2024: 12 filings FY24 FY2025: 15 filings FY25 FY2026: 8 filings FY26 15
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020–––8
FY2021–––5
FY2022$60,000$60,000$62,40013
FY2023–––7
FY2024$64,500$61,300$67,24612
FY2025$70,499$63,867$73,40915
FY2026–––8

Cost of living

San Francisco's median entry-level Interior Designer salary of $70,499 is worth about $61,000 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Interior Designers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $87,460 in May 2025 (1,810 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,499, 19% lower.

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

EmployerMedianFilings
MG West Companytoo few3
STUDIOS Architecturetoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $70,499 23
Mid-level · Level II $85,000 32
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$62,733$70,49923
Mid-level · Level II$78,395$85,00032

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.