Entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 121 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Newark, Foster City, Menlo Park, Livermore.
Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $94,786 |
| 25th | $101,629 |
| 50th (median) | $102,000 |
| 75th | $112,915 |
| 90th | $120,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $83,077 | $79,800 | $91,000 | 66 |
| FY2021 | $86,330 | $83,275 | $91,263 | 58 |
| FY2022 | $85,005 | $83,949 | $94,750 | 78 |
| FY2023 | $89,928 | $84,490 | $99,000 | 80 |
| FY2024 | $97,500 | $91,770 | $105,000 | 71 |
| FY2025 | $100,006 | $94,786 | $110,842 | 55 |
| FY2026 | $103,500 | $101,629 | $112,560 | 66 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary of $102,000 is worth about $88,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Mechanical Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $161,370 in May 2025 (5,150 employed). The H-1B median here is $102,000, 37% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | $113,048 | 10 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 9 |
| Alten Technology | too few | 5 |
| Mainspring Energy | too few | 4 |
| Meta | too few | 3 |
| Lam Research | too few | 3 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 3 |
| Toland Mizell Molnar | too few | 3 |
| Ultima Genomics | too few | 3 |
| Arcology | 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 | $102,000 | 121 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $127,000 | 323 |
| Senior · Level III | $150,654 | 287 |
| Expert · Level IV | $175,671 | 261 |
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 | $101,629 | $102,000 | 121 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $118,810 | $127,000 | 323 |
| Senior · Level III | $142,854 | $150,654 | 287 |
| Expert · Level IV | $175,157 | $175,671 | 261 |
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.