Expert Law Clerk salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 10 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Pleasanton, Daly City, Emeryville, Menlo Park, Hayward.

Also listed as: Judicial Law Clerk

Median salary$143,000
Middle 50%$102.5k–$192.1k
vs. all levels here+51%comparison median $94,598
Filings10FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $96,069 and $225,000.
PercentileSalary
10th$99,568
25th$102,500
50th (median)$143,000
75th$192,125
90th$225,000

Cost of living

San Francisco's median expert Law Clerk salary of $143,000 is worth about $123,700 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Judicial Law Clerks in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $90,650 in May 2025 (240 employed). The H-1B median here is $143,000, 58% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Hung Changtoo few2
Kern Segal & Murray, A Lawtoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $69,701 10
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV $143,000 10

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$68,016$69,70110
Expert · Level IV$94,598$143,00010

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.