Senior Mechanical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 287 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $142,854 |
| 25th | $142,854 |
| 50th (median) | $150,654 |
| 75th | $161,257 |
| 90th | $179,390 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,000 | $118,000 | $135,650 | 108 |
| FY2021 | $126,366 | $124,197 | $140,004 | 152 |
| FY2022 | $135,000 | $125,500 | $145,000 | 181 |
| FY2023 | $137,363 | $128,927 | $150,000 | 135 |
| FY2024 | $145,100 | $137,356 | $161,406 | 146 |
| FY2025 | $149,636 | $142,854 | $157,292 | 197 |
| FY2026 | $156,611 | $150,654 | $170,000 | 90 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Mechanical Engineer salary of $150,654 is worth about $130,300 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 $150,654, 7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lucid Motors | $142,854 | 91 |
| Tesla | $159,415 | 71 |
| Zoox | $151,000 | 11 |
| Lam Research | too few | 8 |
| Zipline International | too few | 6 |
| OpenAI OpCo | too few | 5 |
| Cruise | too few | 4 |
| Diamond Foundry | too few | 4 |
| Joby Aero | too few | 4 |
| Delta Electronics (Americas) | 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.