Mid-level Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 597 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $164,403 |
| 25th | $182,000 |
| 50th (median) | $186,200 |
| 75th | $222,950 |
| 90th | $280,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $121,000 | $107,811 | $154,000 | 168 |
| FY2021 | $140,000 | $120,000 | $160,000 | 145 |
| FY2022 | $168,000 | $147,546 | $190,000 | 147 |
| FY2023 | $190,000 | $178,674 | $204,993 | 120 |
| FY2024 | $222,200 | $208,830 | $325,000 | 84 |
| FY2025 | $186,000 | $182,000 | $215,498 | 198 |
| FY2026 | $186,200 | $182,000 | $222,950 | 399 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $186,200 is worth about $161,100 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 $186,200, 9% 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 | $186,200 | 317 |
| Amazon | $195,000 | 37 |
| OpenAI OpCo | $335,000 | 30 |
| $205,000 | 27 | |
| Anthropic, PBC | $209,082 | 20 |
| Visa | $169,100 | 10 |
| Luma AI | $187,500 | 10 |
| Adobe | too few | 6 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | too few | 6 |
| Redwood Research Group | too few | 6 |
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.