Entry-level UX Designer salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 60 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, San Bruno, San Mateo, Pleasanton, Redwood City.

Also listed as: Web Designer, Product Designer

Median salary$100,000
Middle 50%$91.9k–$131k
vs. all levels here−39%comparison median $162,718
Filings60FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $61,000 and $232,829.
PercentileSalary
10th$87,593
25th$91,894
50th (median)$100,000
75th$131,000
90th$168,547

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $95k $130k FY2023: median $82,888 (23 filings) FY2024: median $68,980 (22 filings) FY2025: median $92,000 (29 filings) FY2026: median $117,000 (31 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 4 filings FY20 FY2021: 3 filings FY21 FY2022: 1 filings FY22 FY2023: 23 filings FY23 FY2024: 22 filings FY24 FY2025: 29 filings FY25 FY2026: 31 filings FY26 31
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–––4
FY2021–––3
FY2022–––1
FY2023$82,888$77,605$92,00023
FY2024$68,980$60,500$79,94722
FY2025$92,000$91,894$100,00029
FY2026$117,000$98,000$160,97931

Cost of living

San Francisco's median entry-level UX Designer salary of $100,000 is worth about $86,500 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Web and Digital Interface Designers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $163,810 in May 2025 (6,630 employed). The H-1B median here is $100,000, 39% lower.

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

EmployerMedianFilings
Metatoo few7
Walmarttoo few5
MH Sub Itoo few3
Deloittetoo few2
BackOps-aitoo few2
KikOfftoo few2
Meltektoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $100,000 60
Mid-level · Level II $135,650 128
Senior · Level III $180,000 80
Expert · Level IV $216,000 105

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$87,526$100,00060
Mid-level · Level II$120,598$135,650128
Senior · Level III$153,691$180,00080
Expert · Level IV$186,763$216,000105

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.