Entry-level Validation Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 67 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I 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 | $99,674 |
| 25th | $99,674 |
| 50th (median) | $100,194 |
| 75th | $121,250 |
| 90th | $138,646 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $77,376 | $71,000 | $82,400 | 49 |
| FY2021 | $82,222 | $77,376 | $87,500 | 45 |
| FY2022 | $81,000 | $79,560 | $83,200 | 47 |
| FY2023 | $91,000 | $88,400 | $103,314 | 17 |
| FY2024 | $102,414 | $90,501 | $110,525 | 34 |
| FY2025 | $100,006 | $99,674 | $121,000 | 41 |
| FY2026 | $100,597 | $100,194 | $121,125 | 26 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Validation Engineer salary of $100,194 is worth about $86,700 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 $100,194, 37% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Insight Global | too few | 3 |
| Lupa Robotics | too few | 3 |
| Anyware Robotics | too few | 2 |
| Celltrio | too few | 2 |
| Clearway Energy Group | too few | 2 |
| Glumac | too few | 2 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 2 |
| Mytra | too few | 2 |
| TAV Employer | too few | 2 |
| Valencia Merger Sub II | 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 | $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.