Entry-level Systems Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 14 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Foster City, Pleasanton, Belmont, Oakland.
Median salary$106,500
Middle 50%$97.4k–$135.8k
vs. all levels here−32%comparison median $156,270
Filings14FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$70k$80k$90k$100k$110k$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k$170k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $89,334 |
| 25th | $97,350 |
| 50th (median) | $106,500 |
| 75th | $135,821 |
| 90th | $149,850 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2022 | $90,000 | $81,777 | $98,870 | 10 |
| FY2023 | $82,600 | $72,272 | $87,866 | 16 |
| FY2024 | $113,443 | $83,500 | $138,000 | 23 |
| FY2025 | $108,000 | $99,900 | $135,642 | 11 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 3 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Systems Engineer salary of $106,500 is worth about $92,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | too few | 3 |
| Spotline | 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 | $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.