Mid-level Validation Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 165 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $132,991 |
| 25th | $134,077 |
| 50th (median) | $140,000 |
| 75th | $165,000 |
| 90th | $184,875 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $93,995 | $90,147 | $100,000 | 133 |
| FY2021 | $100,000 | $95,242 | $115,000 | 142 |
| FY2022 | $100,000 | $97,910 | $112,000 | 127 |
| FY2023 | $116,000 | $103,896 | $131,145 | 59 |
| FY2024 | $130,000 | $120,016 | $140,000 | 56 |
| FY2025 | $140,000 | $134,077 | $156,643 | 80 |
| FY2026 | $150,000 | $133,390 | $170,000 | 85 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level Validation Engineer salary of $140,000 is worth about $121,100 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 $140,000, 12% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Skild AI | $200,000 | 21 |
| Tesla | $157,297 | 21 |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | $118,884 | 16 |
| Dexterity | too few | 7 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 6 |
| 1X Technologies | too few | 4 |
| Nimble Robotics | too few | 4 |
| Pony.ai | too few | 4 |
| Zoox | too few | 4 |
| Hello Robot | too few | 3 |
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.