San Francisco, CA H-1B salaries — 132,890 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 10,030
- Filings · FY2025
- $175k
- Median base · FY2025
- $140k–$210k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Salesforce Com
- Top sponsor · 5,034 all-time
Employers in San Francisco, CA have 132,890 certified H-1B LCAs on record since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $175k across 10,030 filings, with the middle 50% between $140k and $210k. The biggest sponsors are Salesforce Com, Uber Technologies, Ernst Young U.S. LLP; the most-sponsored titles are Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, Data Scientist.
How much do H-1B workers in San Francisco, CA make?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $175k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has H-1B hiring in San Francisco, CA changed?
12,021 certified filings in FY2016 → 8,816 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 8,816 | −12% | $188k |
| FY2025 | 10,030 | +7% | $175k |
| FY2024 | 9,386 | −5% | $170k |
| FY2023 | 9,891 | −25% | $160k |
| FY2022 | 13,146 | +7% | $157k |
| FY2021 | 12,263 | −11% | $145k |
| FY2020 | 13,821 | −16% | $135k |
| FY2019 | 16,535 | +13% | $125k |
| FY2018 | 14,659 | +19% | $120k |
| FY2017 | 12,322 | +3% | $110k |
| FY2016 | 12,021 | — | $102k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B workers in San Francisco, CA?
The employers with the most certified filings, all years, with their median base salary. Open any employer for its full profile.
| # | Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salesforce Com | 5,034 | $142k |
| 2 | Uber Technologies | 4,133 | $140k |
| 3 | Ernst Young U.S. LLP | 3,624 | $115k |
| 4 | Salesforce | 3,260 | $205k |
| 5 | 2,851 | $164k | |
| 6 | University of California San Francisco | 2,461 | $76k |
| 7 | Infosys | 1,998 | $99k |
| 8 | Airbnb | 1,968 | $180k |
| 9 | Amazon.com Services | 1,961 | $167k |
| 10 | 1,611 | $156k |
What H-1B jobs get sponsored in San Francisco, CA?
The most-filed job titles on certified LCAs in this city, all years (DOL titles, pay-grade codes stripped).
| # | Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Software Engineer | 14,025 | $144k |
| 2 | Senior Software Engineer | 5,122 | $165k |
| 3 | Data Scientist | 1,691 | $140k |
| 4 | Associate | 1,353 | $122k |
| 5 | Product Manager | 1,344 | $150k |
| 6 | Software Developer | 1,178 | $119k |
| 7 | Software Engineering Smts | 1,033 | $190k |
| 8 | Engineering Manager | 969 | $205k |
| 9 | Staff Software Engineer | 909 | $204k |
| 10 | Postdoctoral Scholar | 885 | $64k |
Common questions about H-1B jobs in San Francisco, CA
- What is the median H-1B salary in San Francisco, CA?
- The median certified H-1B base salary in San Francisco, CA is $175k (FY2025), from 10,030 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $105k and $173k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B workers in San Francisco, CA?
- The top H-1B sponsors in San Francisco, CA are Salesforce Com, Uber Technologies, Ernst Young U.S. LLP.
- What are the most common H-1B jobs in San Francisco, CA?
- The most-sponsored H-1B roles in San Francisco, CA are Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, Data Scientist.
- Does a certified LCA mean an H-1B visa was approved?
- No. A Labor Condition Application (LCA) is the Department of Labor attestation an employer must have certified before filing an H-1B petition with USCIS. It records the job, worksite and offered wage, but not whether the petition was filed, selected in the lottery, or approved. Filing counts measure intent to sponsor, not headcount.
- What salary do these figures show?
- The base annual wage offered on the certified LCA, converted to a yearly amount. Bonus, equity, overtime and benefits are not included, so total compensation is typically higher. Figures are medians and percentiles over certified filings; wages above $5,000,000 a year are excluded as data-entry errors.
- What does the fiscal year mean here?
- Years are U.S. government fiscal years, October to September: FY2025 runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This matches how the Department of Labor publishes the disclosure files. The most recent year may be partial until its final quarter is released.
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification — certified LCA disclosure data through June 2026 (FY2016–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →