Validation Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 420 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Berkeley, San Mateo, Redwood City, Foster City.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $100,194 |
| 25th | $133,390 |
| 50th (median) | $157,298 |
| 75th | $185,000 |
| 90th | $216,370 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $100,500 | $90,147 | $127,317 | 317 |
| FY2021 | $113,048 | $95,300 | $134,493 | 329 |
| FY2022 | $118,365 | $98,000 | $144,280 | 382 |
| FY2023 | $131,250 | $104,952 | $160,804 | 157 |
| FY2024 | $139,235 | $120,016 | $165,000 | 181 |
| FY2025 | $150,000 | $130,000 | $170,075 | 210 |
| FY2026 | $166,566 | $135,000 | $199,763 | 210 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median Validation Engineer salary of $157,298 is worth about $136,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $159,800 in May 2025 (4,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $157,298, 2% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $127,872 | 39 |
| Tesla | $153,025 | 33 |
| Skild AI | $200,000 | 25 |
| Zoox | $183,000 | 18 |
| Dexterity | $133,734 | 12 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 9 |
| DoorDash | too few | 9 |
| 1X Technologies | too few | 7 |
| Anyware Robotics | too few | 7 |
| Bright Machines | too few | 7 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $100,194 | 67 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $140,000 | 165 |
| Senior · Level III | $169,000 | 109 |
| Expert · Level IV | $210,000 | 57 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $99,674 | $100,194 | 67 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $133,390 | $140,000 | 165 |
| Senior · Level III | $166,566 | $169,000 | 109 |
| Expert · Level IV | $199,763 | $210,000 | 57 |
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.