Materials Scientist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 57 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Berkeley, Fremont, Livermore, Menlo Park, Brisbane.
Also listed as: Research Associate Materials Science
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $78,802 |
| 25th | $115,000 |
| 50th (median) | $139,000 |
| 75th | $159,910 |
| 90th | $181,831 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $103,730 | $82,818 | $123,011 | 44 |
| FY2021 | $116,813 | $99,091 | $139,838 | 29 |
| FY2022 | $105,557 | $85,304 | $130,000 | 42 |
| FY2023 | $109,890 | $90,000 | $120,000 | 44 |
| FY2024 | $117,840 | $87,048 | $124,694 | 31 |
| FY2025 | $145,000 | $111,966 | $163,358 | 33 |
| FY2026 | $139,000 | $125,437 | $159,259 | 24 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Materials Scientist salary of $139,000 is worth about $120,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Materials Scientists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $231,710 in May 2025 (380 employed). The H-1B median here is $139,000, 40% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $91,284 | 13 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 8 |
| TE Connectivity | too few | 3 |
| University of California, Berkeley | too few | 3 |
| Freenome Holdings | too few | 2 |
| JH Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | too few | 2 |
| Periodic Labs | too few | 2 |
| Western Digital Technologies | 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 | too few | 5 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $141,052 | 10 |
| Senior · Level III | $145,475 | 15 |
| Expert · Level IV | $180,918 | 13 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $111,966 | $141,052 | 10 |
| Senior · Level III | $145,475 | $145,475 | 15 |
| Expert · Level IV | $159,910 | $180,918 | 13 |
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.