Software Engineer salary in San Francisco 2026
Software Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA — median (P50) $184,500 base from 7 Certified LCA rows. P25 $170,400 is a typical floor; P90 $193,120 is the top of this cell. Not total compensation.
| P25 | Median (P50) | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $170,400 | $184,500 | $189,600 | $193,120 |
What P25, P50, P75 and P90 mean for Software Engineer in San Francisco
P50 is the median Software Engineer salary in San Francisco in this cell. Half of sample bases sit at or below $184,500.
P25 ($170,400) is a realistic floor for early-career or Level I LCA wages. P75 ($189,600) is a common negotiation target. P90 ($193,120) is the upper tail — not a typical offer.
Take-home vs Software Engineer base in CA
These figures are pre-tax base. Federal, FICA and CA wage tax change the check. Run the paycheck calculator for CA before you accept a cut versus a remote offer.
Software Engineer H-1B wages and nearby cities
This cell uses 7 Certified LCA rows for Software Engineer in San Francisco. Thin cells blend a US market estimate so every role×city URL still has a number.
Same title in other metros: Seattle median $160,200; Austin median $144,600; New York median $169,700; Boston median $149,600; Chicago median $116,600; Los Angeles median $112,400; Dallas median $93,600.
H-1B sponsors →Software Engineer in Seattle →Software Engineer in Austin →Software Engineer in New York →Software Engineer in Boston →Software Engineer in Chicago →Data Scientist in San Francisco →Product Manager in San Francisco →DevOps Engineer in San Francisco →Cloud Architect in San Francisco →
Frequently asked questions
What is the median Software Engineer salary in San Francisco?
P50 is $184,500 base per year (7 Certified LCA rows).
What is a typical Software Engineer salary range in San Francisco?
P25–P75 is $170,400–$189,600. P90 is $193,120.
Is this total compensation?
No. Base only. Equity and bonus are omitted.
Is this BLS or Levels.fyi?
No. Mock Certified LCA plus a market estimate when the cell is empty.
Can H-1B offers be below P25?
Yes, if prevailing wage and level allow it. Compare the LCA city on /h1b-sponsors.
Should I take a lower Software Engineer offer in San Francisco?
Model after-tax pay. Cost of housing in San Francisco is not in this table.
Software Engineer jobs in San Francisco
WhatJobs listings for this page — tap through to apply on the employer site.
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Sr. Software Engineer
The target salary range for this position is $220,000-265,000
NetApp · San Jose
Apply → -
Site Reliability Engineer Manager- Hybrid
$90 – $120
Calance US · Santa Clara
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Junior Software Engineer
$75,000 – $85,000
iLending · Englewood
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Sr. Site Reliability Engineer
$118,000 – $152,000
Early Warning · Scottsdale
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Staff Site Reliability Engineer
$235,000 – $275,000
Filevine · New York
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Senior Marketing Manager
$130,000-150,000/yr USD + bonus + equity #J-18,808-Ljbffr
Hilbert · San Francisco
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