Materials Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 234 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, San Leandro, Menlo Park, Livermore, Berkeley.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $116,168 |
| 25th | $135,073 |
| 50th (median) | $138,258 |
| 75th | $158,018 |
| 90th | $160,139 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $117,900 | $107,806 | $123,885 | 97 |
| FY2021 | $121,000 | $119,870 | $125,000 | 113 |
| FY2022 | $122,283 | $104,125 | $131,310 | 115 |
| FY2023 | $131,310 | $112,466 | $137,566 | 84 |
| FY2024 | $136,739 | $118,830 | $140,046 | 136 |
| FY2025 | $138,258 | $128,916 | $158,018 | 125 |
| FY2026 | $138,258 | $138,258 | $155,251 | 109 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Materials Engineer salary of $138,258 is worth about $119,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Materials Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $129,480 in May 2025 (340 employed). The H-1B median here is $138,258, 7% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Research | $138,258 | 122 |
| Western Digital Technologies | $137,093 | 20 |
| Nova Measuring Instruments | too few | 6 |
| Coreshell Technologies | too few | 5 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 5 |
| Sila Nanotechnologies | too few | 5 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 4 |
| Tesla | too few | 4 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 3 |
| Atomic Semi | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $96,498 | 18 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $118,419 | 44 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,258 | 111 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,139 | 55 |
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 | $95,243 | $96,498 | 18 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $116,355 | $118,419 | 44 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,258 | $138,258 | 111 |
| Expert · Level IV | $158,018 | $160,139 | 55 |
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.