Expert Validation Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 57 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $199,763 |
| 25th | $199,763 |
| 50th (median) | $210,000 |
| 75th | $228,000 |
| 90th | $242,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $144,876 | $129,002 | $165,000 | 53 |
| FY2021 | $149,930 | $134,576 | $176,706 | 60 |
| FY2022 | $157,635 | $140,000 | $170,000 | 98 |
| FY2023 | $175,450 | $159,993 | $202,250 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $195,500 | $180,001 | $204,471 | 26 |
| FY2025 | $205,000 | $202,883 | $228,000 | 23 |
| FY2026 | $214,600 | $199,763 | $227,970 | 34 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert Validation Engineer salary of $210,000 is worth about $181,600 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 $210,000, 31% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Zoox | too few | 7 |
| DoorDash | too few | 6 |
| Cruise | too few | 4 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | too few | 3 |
| Serve Operating | too few | 3 |
| Skydio | too few | 3 |
| 1X Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Bright Machines | too few | 2 |
| EnLume | too few | 2 |
| MooCo Robotics | 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.