Psychologist salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 17 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Berkeley, El Cerrito.

Median salary$79,881
Middle 50%$74.4k–$90k
vs. national median+7%comparison median $74,425
Filings17FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $70,021 and $146,544.
PercentileSalary
10th$74,281
25th$74,425
50th (median)$79,881
75th$90,000
90th$110,070

Cost of living

San Francisco's median Psychologist salary of $79,881 is worth about $69,100 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Psychologists, All Other in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $168,040 in May 2025 (300 employed). The H-1B median here is $79,881, 52% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
University of California, Berkeley$77,17910
University of California, San Franciscotoo few4

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.