Expert Systems Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 35 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Foster City, Pleasanton, Belmont, Oakland.

Median salary$189,000
Middle 50%$174.1k–$213.1k
vs. all levels here+21%comparison median $156,270
Filings35FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $155,927 and $265,752.
PercentileSalary
10th$158,305
25th$174,108
50th (median)$189,000
75th$213,106
90th$238,110

Salary by year

Median salary

$140k $175k $210k FY2020: median $156,749 (20 filings) FY2021: median $172,550 (23 filings) FY2022: median $177,131 (27 filings) FY2023: median $178,141 (18 filings) FY2024: median $175,000 (13 filings) FY2025: median $183,040 (15 filings) FY2026: median $194,500 (20 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 20 filings FY20 FY2021: 23 filings FY21 FY2022: 27 filings FY22 FY2023: 18 filings FY23 FY2024: 13 filings FY24 FY2025: 15 filings FY25 FY2026: 20 filings FY26 27
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$156,749$147,500$177,95320
FY2021$172,550$152,138$206,00023
FY2022$177,131$166,755$195,06527
FY2023$178,141$163,040$188,75018
FY2024$175,000$148,408$216,00013
FY2025$183,040$168,939$207,35015
FY2026$194,500$184,496$213,51220

Cost of living

San Francisco's median expert Systems Engineer salary of $189,000 is worth about $163,500 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Zooxtoo few9
Curtis Instrumentstoo few3
Lam Researchtoo few2
Parker Hannifintoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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.