Senior Software Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 3,592 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $181,088 |
| 25th | $187,574 |
| 50th (median) | $200,000 |
| 75th | $224,023 |
| 90th | $240,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $144,040 | $164,000 | 3,602 |
| FY2021 | $158,400 | $145,725 | $170,000 | 3,326 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $155,000 | $180,000 | 3,763 |
| FY2023 | $175,000 | $164,300 | $190,000 | 2,151 |
| FY2024 | $196,790 | $184,176 | $214,032 | 1,751 |
| FY2025 | $200,000 | $187,574 | $220,477 | 2,164 |
| FY2026 | $202,000 | $188,000 | $227,000 | 1,428 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Software Engineer salary of $200,000 is worth about $173,000 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 $200,000, 7% 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 | $219,801 | 427 |
| Salesforce | $226,682 | 401 |
| Amazon | $212,600 | 145 |
| $221,150 | 96 | |
| Roblox | $240,905 | 74 |
| Tesla | $195,073 | 73 |
| Airbnb | $196,000 | 71 |
| Uber | $196,650 | 58 |
| Zoox | $187,574 | 58 |
| Anthropic, PBC | $187,574 | 47 |
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.