Senior Systems Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 37 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Foster City, Pleasanton, Belmont, Oakland.
Median salary$174,637
Middle 50%$148.5k–$190k
vs. all levels here+12%comparison median $156,270
Filings37FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k$170k$180k$190k$200k$210k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $139,303 |
| 25th | $148,500 |
| 50th (median) | $174,637 |
| 75th | $190,000 |
| 90th | $194,688 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $137,259 | $133,926 | $154,913 | 34 |
| FY2021 | $147,000 | $137,540 | $156,900 | 31 |
| FY2022 | $154,800 | $144,932 | $163,962 | 32 |
| FY2023 | $156,616 | $145,704 | $174,500 | 19 |
| FY2024 | $162,000 | $147,680 | $185,000 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $155,043 | $144,664 | $185,000 | 21 |
| FY2026 | $185,647 | $152,125 | $190,237 | 16 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median senior Systems Engineer salary of $174,637 is worth about $151,100 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 | 4 |
| Abbott Diabetes Care | too few | 3 |
| Cruise | too few | 3 |
| Dako Resources | too few | 3 |
| Lam Research | too few | 3 |
| Bright Machines | too few | 2 |
| Compunnel Software Group | too few | 2 |
| Fivetran | too few | 2 |
| Zoox | 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.