Expert Software Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 4,054 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Fremont, San Mateo, Pleasanton, Redwood City.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $208,000 |
| 25th | $213,512 |
| 50th (median) | $230,000 |
| 75th | $260,000 |
| 90th | $285,446 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $177,436 | $168,958 | $196,217 | 2,942 |
| FY2021 | $186,000 | $170,000 | $202,780 | 2,900 |
| FY2022 | $196,020 | $179,000 | $217,000 | 3,427 |
| FY2023 | $209,720 | $190,379 | $228,323 | 2,180 |
| FY2024 | $230,000 | $215,349 | $255,229 | 1,331 |
| FY2025 | $230,000 | $213,512 | $254,640 | 2,111 |
| FY2026 | $230,000 | $213,512 | $264,726 | 1,943 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Software Engineer salary of $230,000 is worth about $198,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $186,640 in May 2025 (69,030 employed). The H-1B median here is $230,000, 23% 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 | $233,314 | 926 |
| Salesforce | $269,204 | 217 |
| Roblox | $281,155 | 126 |
| Snowflake | $213,512 | 78 |
| Zoox | $213,512 | 70 |
| $246,000 | 58 | |
| DocuSign | $213,512 | 56 |
| Tesla | $227,360 | 55 |
| Uber | $235,500 | 54 |
| Oracle | $213,512 | 51 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $144,900 | 2,210 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $176,657 | 5,062 |
| Senior · Level III | $200,000 | 3,592 |
| Expert · Level IV | $230,000 | 4,054 |
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 | $135,699 | $144,900 | 2,210 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $155,605 | $176,657 | 5,062 |
| Senior · Level III | $187,574 | $200,000 | 3,592 |
| Expert · Level IV | $213,512 | $230,000 | 4,054 |
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.