Expert UX Designer salary in San Francisco, CA

Based on 105 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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$216,000
Middle 50%$195k–$245k
vs. all levels here+33%comparison median $162,718
Filings105FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $186,763 and $335,760.
PercentileSalary
10th$186,763
25th$195,000
50th (median)$216,000
75th$245,000
90th$279,594

Salary by year

Median salary

$180k $205k $230k FY2023: median $200,000 (17 filings) FY2024: median $208,000 (15 filings) FY2025: median $216,000 (40 filings) FY2026: median $216,000 (65 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 3 filings FY20 FY2021: 2 filings FY21 FY2022: 8 filings FY22 FY2023: 17 filings FY23 FY2024: 15 filings FY24 FY2025: 40 filings FY25 FY2026: 65 filings FY26 65
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–––3
FY2021–––2
FY2022–––8
FY2023$200,000$179,724$228,34017
FY2024$208,000$190,600$214,33015
FY2025$216,000$196,075$232,66040
FY2026$216,000$190,800$250,15065

Cost of living

San Francisco's median expert UX Designer salary of $216,000 is worth about $186,800 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 $216,000, 32% higher.

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
Meta$243,35325
Googletoo few6
DocuSigntoo few6
Robloxtoo few5
Blocktoo few3
DoorDashtoo few3
Salesforcetoo few2
Adobetoo few2
Airwallextoo few2
Asanatoo 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.