Microbiologist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 47 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Berkeley, Menlo Park, Livermore, Fremont, Emeryville.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $78,156 |
| 25th | $84,405 |
| 50th (median) | $104,328 |
| 75th | $131,569 |
| 90th | $160,800 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $83,554 | $70,520 | $94,750 | 30 |
| FY2021 | $107,875 | $85,673 | $125,000 | 36 |
| FY2022 | $96,075 | $80,188 | $118,750 | 30 |
| FY2023 | $105,000 | $90,000 | $125,000 | 29 |
| FY2024 | $104,437 | $85,564 | $110,000 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $100,000 | $83,218 | $142,542 | 27 |
| FY2026 | $108,000 | $84,968 | $121,375 | 20 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Microbiologist salary of $104,328 is worth about $90,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Microbiologists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $130,070 in May 2025 (700 employed). The H-1B median here is $104,328, 20% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| University of California, San Francisco | too few | 9 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 7 |
| University of California, Berkeley | too few | 6 |
| Antheia | too few | 4 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 4 |
| Ntess | too few | 2 |
| Nurix Therapeutics | 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 | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.