Expert Mechanical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 261 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $166,878 |
| 25th | $174,492 |
| 50th (median) | $175,671 |
| 75th | $192,000 |
| 90th | $221,375 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $141,750 | $169,500 | 85 |
| FY2021 | $148,000 | $144,310 | $170,000 | 95 |
| FY2022 | $155,192 | $146,125 | $176,000 | 136 |
| FY2023 | $160,077 | $148,096 | $179,875 | 110 |
| FY2024 | $166,878 | $160,077 | $181,298 | 118 |
| FY2025 | $175,157 | $166,878 | $192,150 | 157 |
| FY2026 | $176,000 | $175,157 | $190,500 | 104 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Mechanical Engineer salary of $175,671 is worth about $151,900 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 $175,671, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Motors | $166,878 | 73 |
| Zoox | $176,750 | 39 |
| Tesla | $188,186 | 24 |
| Meta | $223,070 | 13 |
| Zipline International | too few | 8 |
| Lam Research | too few | 6 |
| Form Energy | too few | 5 |
| Skydio | too few | 5 |
| Volkswagen Group of America | too few | 4 |
| 1X Technologies | 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 | $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.