Entry-level Sales Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 41 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, San Mateo, Pleasanton, Menlo Park, Dublin.
Also listed as: Solutions Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $100,000 |
| 25th | $102,294 |
| 50th (median) | $115,000 |
| 75th | $125,000 |
| 90th | $150,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $74,000 | $71,802 | $86,149 | 14 |
| FY2021 | $82,659 | $75,878 | $91,250 | 12 |
| FY2022 | $95,000 | $88,041 | $112,250 | 12 |
| FY2023 | $90,000 | $89,876 | $104,027 | 14 |
| FY2024 | $98,647 | $94,370 | $110,411 | 16 |
| FY2025 | $113,000 | $103,574 | $121,800 | 24 |
| FY2026 | $115,000 | $100,000 | $134,389 | 17 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Sales Engineer salary of $115,000 is worth about $99,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Sales Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $151,610 in May 2025 (930 employed). The H-1B median here is $115,000, 24% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens | too few | 8 |
| Salesforce | too few | 2 |
| Applied Seals North America | too few | 2 |
| Persona Identities | too few | 2 |
| ThinkCyte | too few | 2 |
| Verkada | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $115,000 | 41 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $138,618 | 100 |
| Senior · Level III | $163,172 | 112 |
| Expert · Level IV | $192,800 | 90 |
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 | $102,294 | $115,000 | 41 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $125,923 | $138,618 | 100 |
| Senior · Level III | $155,522 | $163,172 | 112 |
| Expert · Level IV | $185,099 | $192,800 | 90 |
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.