Expert Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 22 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Alameda, South San Francisco, Pleasanton, Fremont, Dublin.

Also listed as: Compliance Specialist

Median salary$137,839
Middle 50%$135.7k–$153.3k
vs. all levels here+22%comparison median $112,736
Filings22FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $123,469 and $263,539.
PercentileSalary
10th$123,902
25th$135,678
50th (median)$137,839
75th$153,250
90th$183,743

Salary by year

Median salary

$100k $130k $160k FY2020: median $115,200 (29 filings) FY2021: median $116,355 (23 filings) FY2022: median $125,000 (25 filings) FY2023: median $126,622 (14 filings) FY2024: median $148,363 (17 filings) FY2025: median $138,091 (12 filings) FY2026: median $137,839 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 29 filings FY20 FY2021: 23 filings FY21 FY2022: 25 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 17 filings FY24 FY2025: 12 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 29
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$115,200$107,100$130,00029
FY2021$116,355$110,000$130,10023
FY2022$125,000$116,355$134,40025
FY2023$126,622$118,205$150,70014
FY2024$148,363$123,469$175,00017
FY2025$138,091$126,713$145,75012
FY2026$137,839$135,678$178,17110

Cost of living

San Francisco's median expert Regulatory Affairs Specialist salary of $137,839 is worth about $119,200 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Regulatory Affairs Specialists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $118,890 in May 2025 (7,500 employed). The H-1B median here is $137,839, 16% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Genentechtoo few4
Boehringer Ingelheim Fremonttoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $66,585 14
Mid-level · Level II $95,000 37
Senior · Level III $112,736 35
Expert · Level IV $137,839 22

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$64,438$66,58514
Mid-level · Level II$89,814$95,00037
Senior · Level III$112,736$112,73635
Expert · Level IV$123,469$137,83922

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.