Senior Materials Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 111 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, San Leandro, Menlo Park, Livermore, Berkeley.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $137,093 |
| 25th | $137,097 |
| 50th (median) | $138,258 |
| 75th | $144,664 |
| 90th | $155,251 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $107,806 | $107,806 | $117,000 | 42 |
| FY2021 | $120,435 | $112,224 | $121,000 | 36 |
| FY2022 | $117,982 | $104,125 | $119,912 | 37 |
| FY2023 | $118,830 | $112,466 | $134,514 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $118,830 | $118,830 | $136,739 | 64 |
| FY2025 | $137,093 | $137,093 | $144,664 | 55 |
| FY2026 | $138,258 | $138,258 | $140,310 | 56 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior 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.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lam Research | $138,258 | 69 |
| Western Digital Technologies | $137,093 | 10 |
| Nova Measuring Instruments | too few | 3 |
| Atomic Semi | too few | 2 |
| Coherent | too few | 2 |
| Rigetti | too few | 2 |
| Seagate | too few | 2 |
| Tesla | 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 | $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.