Expert Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 218 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $209,082 |
| 25th | $214,142 |
| 50th (median) | $250,000 |
| 75th | $290,000 |
| 90th | $340,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $188,175 | $181,300 | $205,000 | 95 |
| FY2021 | $198,932 | $192,125 | $210,539 | 90 |
| FY2022 | $212,101 | $198,353 | $231,660 | 60 |
| FY2023 | $265,000 | $250,000 | $277,150 | 15 |
| FY2024 | $286,050 | $236,629 | $325,825 | 16 |
| FY2025 | $263,803 | $246,536 | $310,000 | 57 |
| FY2026 | $230,000 | $210,000 | $285,000 | 161 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $250,000 is worth about $216,200 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 $250,000, 46% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $245,565 | 60 |
| Amazon | $272,500 | 12 |
| Together Computer | too few | 7 |
| Scale AI | too few | 6 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 5 |
| Decart AI | too few | 4 |
| Thinking Machines Lab | too few | 4 |
| Anthropic, PBC | too few | 3 |
| Anysphere | too few | 3 |
| Fl2024-008 | too few | 3 |
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.