Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 1,412 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Berkeley, Burlingame, Redwood City, San Mateo.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Researcher
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $165,865 |
| 25th | $182,000 |
| 50th (median) | $205,000 |
| 75th | $227,435 |
| 90th | $283,148 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $152,933 | $122,800 | $175,000 | 501 |
| FY2021 | $160,000 | $140,560 | $185,000 | 437 |
| FY2022 | $172,396 | $158,264 | $196,020 | 405 |
| FY2023 | $185,000 | $170,000 | $209,720 | 332 |
| FY2024 | $209,720 | $178,559 | $247,940 | 314 |
| FY2025 | $195,000 | $180,000 | $229,501 | 541 |
| FY2026 | $209,082 | $182,000 | $225,649 | 871 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $205,000 is worth about $177,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer and Information Research Scientists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $171,440 in May 2025 (1,670 employed). The H-1B median here is $205,000, 20% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $188,622 | 640 |
| Amazon | $205,000 | 91 |
| $200,000 | 39 | |
| OpenAI OpCo | $310,000 | 39 |
| Anthropic, PBC | $209,082 | 35 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | $205,897 | 19 |
| Adobe | $174,900 | 14 |
| Scale AI | $250,000 | 13 |
| Visa | $169,100 | 12 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $168,504 | 11 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $182,000 | 174 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $186,200 | 597 |
| Senior · Level III | $214,287 | 254 |
| Expert · Level IV | $250,000 | 218 |
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 | $96,678 | $182,000 | 174 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $134,139 | $186,200 | 597 |
| Senior · Level III | $171,621 | $214,287 | 254 |
| Expert · Level IV | $209,082 | $250,000 | 218 |
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.