Entry-level Lawyer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 85 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Redwood City, Menlo Park, Redwood Shores, Oakland, Foster City.
Also listed as: Attorney, Associate Lawyer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $122,438 |
| 25th | $130,000 |
| 50th (median) | $173,000 |
| 75th | $225,000 |
| 90th | $231,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $100,000 | $92,000 | $117,500 | 24 |
| FY2021 | $109,138 | $99,840 | $190,000 | 25 |
| FY2022 | $137,500 | $110,000 | $215,000 | 23 |
| FY2023 | $150,000 | $114,300 | $215,000 | 27 |
| FY2024 | $144,000 | $127,962 | $215,000 | 43 |
| FY2025 | $150,000 | $126,250 | $225,000 | 42 |
| FY2026 | $225,000 | $132,500 | $225,000 | 43 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Lawyer salary of $173,000 is worth about $149,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Lawyers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $212,500 in May 2025 (18,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $173,000, 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan | $225,000 | 12 |
| Kirkland & Ellis | too few | 3 |
| Latham & Watkins | too few | 3 |
| Airwallex | too few | 2 |
| Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. | too few | 2 |
| Connect Biopharm | too few | 2 |
| Cooley | too few | 2 |
| Covington & Burling | too few | 2 |
| de la Pena & Holiday | too few | 2 |
| Goeschl Law | 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 | $173,000 | 85 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $235,000 | 98 |
| Senior · Level III | $310,000 | 36 |
| Expert · Level IV | $420,000 | 16 |
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 | $123,094 | $173,000 | 85 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $198,765 | $235,000 | 98 |
| Senior · Level III | $235,373 | $310,000 | 36 |
| Expert · Level IV | $292,406 | $420,000 | 16 |
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.