Physicist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 159 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Berkeley, Livermore, Fremont, Hayward.
Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist
Median salary$127,000
Middle 50%$84.7k–$164.6k
vs. national median+41%comparison median $90,000
Filings159FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $79,014 |
| 25th | $84,730 |
| 50th (median) | $127,000 |
| 75th | $164,617 |
| 90th | $195,984 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $91,500 | $72,744 | $109,476 | 89 |
| FY2021 | $96,616 | $72,744 | $122,456 | 79 |
| FY2022 | $111,259 | $80,196 | $144,000 | 97 |
| FY2023 | $95,800 | $72,876 | $115,026 | 82 |
| FY2024 | $99,467 | $76,775 | $140,652 | 104 |
| FY2025 | $120,000 | $83,480 | $150,501 | 103 |
| FY2026 | $137,960 | $85,000 | $171,126 | 56 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Physicist salary of $127,000 is worth about $109,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | $114,805 | 60 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | $186,059 | 33 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $143,418 | 28 |
| University of California, Berkeley | $81,035 | 20 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | too few | 2 |
| Ucsf Medical Center | 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 | $83,480 | 42 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $152,153 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $163,938 | 24 |
| Expert · Level IV | $194,820 | 16 |
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 | $78,853 | $83,480 | 42 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $96,242 | $152,153 | 43 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,610 | $163,938 | 24 |
| Expert · Level IV | $130,998 | $194,820 | 16 |
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.