Mid-level Sales Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 100 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $125,923 |
| 25th | $131,404 |
| 50th (median) | $138,618 |
| 75th | $150,501 |
| 90th | $180,234 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $102,000 | $93,704 | $121,139 | 77 |
| FY2021 | $115,544 | $101,000 | $130,000 | 49 |
| FY2022 | $117,874 | $111,259 | $130,000 | 49 |
| FY2023 | $124,869 | $117,874 | $130,766 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $134,200 | $125,225 | $140,063 | 36 |
| FY2025 | $138,628 | $131,872 | $149,250 | 52 |
| FY2026 | $137,667 | $125,981 | $162,426 | 48 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level Sales Engineer salary of $138,618 is worth about $119,900 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 $138,618, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| $145,500 | 12 | |
| Snowflake | too few | 5 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 3 |
| Entegris | too few | 3 |
| Intelliswift Software | too few | 3 |
| Salesforce | too few | 2 |
| Anthropic, PBC | too few | 2 |
| Databricks | too few | 2 |
| Galileo Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Ito America | 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.