What is the average Software Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA?
Software Engineers in San Francisco earn a median of $187,800 per year — about 42% above the national average. Pay ranges from $135,200 (25th percentile) to $291,100 (90th percentile).
Software Engineer salary by experience level
How San Francisco pay compares
Cost-of-living adjusted is the San Francisco salary translated into equivalent purchasing power vs the US average (COL index 100). Useful for comparing offers across cities.
5-year salary trend
Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 4.7%.
Software Engineer job market in San Francisco
San Francisco offers the highest tech salaries in the country but cost of living is brutal — particularly housing. Many roles offer remote/hybrid flexibility.
An estimated 7,600 software engineers work in the San Francisco metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:
- Write and review code
- Design system architecture
- Debug production issues
- Collaborate with product and design
- Run code reviews
Related job salaries in San Francisco
Software Engineer salary in other cities
FAQ
How much does a Software Engineer make in San Francisco, CA?+
Software Engineers in San Francisco earn a median of $187,800 per year — about 42% above the national average of $132,270.
What's the entry-level Software Engineer salary in San Francisco?+
Entry-level Software Engineers in San Francisco typically earn around $122,100 per year. Salaries scale to about $272,300 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.
Is $187,800 a good Software Engineer salary in San Francisco?+
$187,800 is the median, meaning half of Software Engineers in San Francisco earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 244, that's roughly $77,000 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.
How fast is Software Engineer pay growing in San Francisco?+
Software Engineer salaries in San Francisco grew about 4.7% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +25%.
Where do Software Engineers in San Francisco get paid the most?+
The 90th percentile Software Engineer salary in San Francisco is around $291,100. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.
Are you being paid fairly in San Francisco?
Run a free comparison against BLS data — see if your salary is below, at, or above the San Francisco median.
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