Systems Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 158 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Foster City, Pleasanton, Belmont, Oakland.
Median salary$156,270
Middle 50%$128k–$187.8k
vs. national median+41%comparison median $111,112
Filings158FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k$250k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $106,000 |
| 25th | $128,000 |
| 50th (median) | $156,270 |
| 75th | $187,803 |
| 90th | $206,650 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $127,329 | $104,739 | $150,421 | 115 |
| FY2021 | $137,540 | $119,438 | $160,172 | 132 |
| FY2022 | $140,000 | $110,000 | $163,625 | 128 |
| FY2023 | $139,180 | $110,000 | $166,479 | 100 |
| FY2024 | $143,290 | $115,066 | $166,675 | 102 |
| FY2025 | $149,000 | $118,978 | $179,575 | 98 |
| FY2026 | $180,000 | $141,500 | $195,000 | 60 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Systems Engineer salary of $156,270 is worth about $135,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | $195,000 | 15 |
| Compunnel Software Group | $106,000 | 14 |
| Zoox | $180,576 | 12 |
| Tesla | too few | 6 |
| Abbott Diabetes Care | too few | 5 |
| Lam Research | too few | 5 |
| Volkswagen Group of America | too few | 5 |
| Dako Resources | too few | 4 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 3 |
| B&C Transit | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $106,500 | 14 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $128,000 | 59 |
| Senior · Level III | $174,637 | 37 |
| Expert · Level IV | $189,000 | 35 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.