Home / Wages / San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salaries The median worker in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earned $73,960 a year in 2024, about $35.56 an hour. That ranks #2 of the 391 metro areas published here, 49.4% above the national median.
California
Median pay $73,960 $35.56 per hour
Vs national +49.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 2,405,740 wage and salary
Metro rank #2 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays 29.9% more than California as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Media and Communication Workers, All Other 7.72× 2,840 $99,420 Special Effects Artists and Animators 5.25× 1,740 $120,320 Biological Scientists, All Other 4.64× 4,320 $132,670 Web and Digital Interface Designers 4.56× 7,930 $160,980 Dancers 4.56× 640 not reported Computer Hardware Engineers 4.31× 5,090 $172,920 Biochemists and Biophysicists 3.6× 1,940 $140,850 Law Teachers, Postsecondary 3.55× 1,260 $130,150 Marriage and Family Therapists 3.31× 3,400 $76,980 Natural Sciences Managers 3.28× 5,160 $222,840 Computer and Information Research Scientists 3.09× 1,860 $168,820 Software Developers 2.98× 76,900 $174,910
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Occupation Median Hourly Employed Natural Sciences Managers $222,840 $107.13 5,160 Computer and Information Systems Managers $221,810 $106.64 26,640 Nurse Practitioners $220,330 $105.93 2,960 Lawyers $215,090 $103.41 16,940 Marketing Managers $212,520 $102.17 12,820 Financial Managers $211,730 $101.79 18,380 Architectural and Engineering Managers $208,580 $100.28 6,380 Human Resources Managers $206,420 $99.24 5,890 Dentists, General $205,380 $98.74 1,680 Nurse Midwives $204,980 $98.55 200 Managers, All Other $203,030 $97.61 22,980 Air Traffic Controllers $188,930 $90.83 420 Registered Nurses $188,020 $90.40 40,750 Veterinarians $187,990 $90.38 1,220 Pharmacists $183,510 $88.23 4,230 Public Relations Managers $178,850 $85.99 2,040 Compensation and Benefits Managers $176,740 $84.97 610 Software Developers $174,910 $84.09 76,900 Sales Managers $174,610 $83.95 17,890 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $173,900 $83.61 1,720 Computer Hardware Engineers $172,920 $83.14 5,090 Training and Development Managers $172,160 $82.77 1,090 Database Architects $170,700 $82.07 1,540 Commercial Pilots $170,000 n/a 530 Computer and Information Research Scientists $168,820 $81.16 1,860 Medical and Health Services Managers $168,750 $81.13 11,210 Purchasing Managers $168,460 $80.99 1,190 Information Security Analysts $168,160 $80.85 4,010 Advertising and Promotions Managers $167,300 $80.43 460 Physician Assistants $167,090 $80.33 1,980 Data Scientists $166,300 $79.95 9,350 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $164,020 $78.86 390 Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary $163,920 n/a 410 Electrical Engineers $163,840 $78.77 2,860 Industrial Production Managers $163,190 $78.46 3,190 First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $161,700 $77.74 850 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $161,090 $77.45 1,170 Web and Digital Interface Designers $160,980 $77.39 7,930 Construction Managers $160,870 $77.34 5,660 Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $160,210 $77.02 2,220 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $160,180 $77.01 1,610 Aerospace Engineers $160,000 $76.92 210 Art Directors $158,690 $76.29 2,050 Optometrists $157,750 $75.84 980 Personal Financial Advisors $157,510 $75.73 8,830 Web Developers $157,490 $75.72 2,730 Computer Occupations, All Other $157,380 $75.66 18,680 Engineers, All Other $156,140 $75.07 5,060 Computer Network Architects $155,480 $74.75 5,340 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary $154,840 n/a 350 Sales Engineers $154,420 $74.24 1,430 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $152,600 n/a 440 Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $152,150 n/a 260 General and Operations Managers $152,090 $73.12 42,330 Statisticians $149,400 $71.83 830 Fundraising Managers $148,480 $71.38 1,230 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists $147,480 $70.90 370 Mechanical Engineers $145,640 $70.02 4,670 Computer Systems Analysts $145,440 $69.92 10,950 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $145,140 n/a 4,060
Where most people work Largest occupations in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Home Health and Personal Care Aides 109,070 $35,870 $17.24 Software Developers 76,900 $174,910 $84.09 Fast Food and Counter Workers 47,330 $40,470 $19.46 General and Operations Managers 42,330 $152,090 $73.12 Registered Nurses 40,750 $188,020 $90.40 Cashiers 40,350 $39,520 $19.00 Retail Salespersons 37,380 $42,490 $20.43 Office Clerks, General 35,750 $55,790 $26.82 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 33,130 $48,220 $23.18 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 31,140 $43,530 $20.93 Waiters and Waitresses 30,450 $37,360 $17.96 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 26,820 $99,300 $47.74 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 26,700 $100,440 $48.29 Computer and Information Systems Managers 26,640 $221,810 $106.64 Accountants and Auditors 26,600 $105,750 $50.84 Stockers and Order Fillers 26,230 $44,630 $21.46 Security Guards 25,400 $46,740 $22.47 Management Analysts 24,790 $128,120 $61.60 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 23,560 $124,840 $60.02 Managers, All Other 22,980 $203,030 $97.61
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other California metro areas San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara 1,134,660 workers $82,470 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom 1,066,390 workers $58,880 Vallejo 142,930 workers $57,170 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 1,533,290 workers $56,580 Santa Rosa-Petaluma 204,980 workers $55,140 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 6,199,940 workers $53,490 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pay: common questions What is the average salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont? The median across all occupations is $73,960 , or $35.56 an hour, covering 2,405,740 wage and salary workers. The mean is $100,140, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pay more than the rest of California? Yes. The metro median of $73,960 is 29.9% above the California median of $56,940. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont? Natural Sciences Managers ($222,840), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($221,810), Nurse Practitioners ($220,330). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont unusually full of? Media and Communication Workers, All Other, at 7.72× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.