How does San Francisco compare to the national H-1B median?

The national median offered wage across all certified H-1B LCAs is $111,197 (1,656,589 filings). Data Engineer filings in San Francisco, CA have a median of $167,710, which is 51% above that national figure.

What DOL wage levels do data engineer filings in San Francisco use?

Of 527 filings with a recorded DOL wage level, 40 are Level I, 175 Level II, 178 Level III and 134 Level IV, so 59.2% are certified at Level III or IV. DOL wage levels I–IV reflect the experience and complexity of the role as certified with the Department of Labor. They are not the same thing as an employer's internal engineering levels, which are unrelated and do not appear in LCA data.

Which employers sponsor H-1B data engineer roles in San Francisco?

By certified filing volume, the leading sponsors are Amazon.com Services LLC (25 filings, median $170,000), Airbnb, Inc. (22 filings, median $185,000), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (18 filings, median $175,525), LendingClub Bank National Association (17 filings, median $174,624), Salesforce, Inc. (17 filings, median $200,000). Counts cover FY2021–FY2024.

Does a higher DOL wage level improve H-1B lottery odds?

Since February 27, 2026, USCIS weights the H-1B lottery by DOL wage level, Level IV registrations get 4 entries, Level III get 3, Level II get 2, and Level I get 1, so an offer certified at a higher wage level also improves selection odds under the current system.

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H-1B Data Engineer Salary in San Francisco 2026

The median offered wage on certified H-1B filings for data engineer roles in San Francisco, CA is $167,710, with a 25th–75th percentile range of $144,726–$190,000. Based on 566 certified LCA filings (FY2021–FY2024).

566

Certified Filings

$167,710

Median Offered Wage

59.2%

Level III/IV Share

Offered Wage Distribution

25th percentile	$144,726
Median	$167,710
75th percentile	$190,000
Average	$168,669

Offered wages as certified on the LCA. Source: DOL LCA disclosure data, FY2021–FY2024 (566 certified filings).

Most Common Certified Job Titles

Job Title (as filed)	Filings	Median
Data Engineer	175	$150,696
Senior Data Engineer	102	$176,451
Staff Data Engineer	21	$206,315
Data Engineer II	18	$159,620
Data Engineer III	16	$184,500
Lead Data Engineer	14	$182,278

Job titles exactly as certified on the LCA, ranked by filing volume.

Top Sponsoring Employers

Employer	Filings	Median Wage	Level III/IV
Amazon.com Services LLC	25	$170,000	32%
Airbnb, Inc.	22	$185,000	86.4%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.	18	$175,525	83.3%
LendingClub Bank National Association	17	$174,624	75%
Salesforce, Inc.	17	$200,000	46.7%
DoorDash, Inc.	14	$183,407	61.5%

Employers with at least 5 certified filings for this role and city, FY2021–FY2024.

DOL Wage Level Distribution

Every certified LCA records a DOL prevailing wage level from I to IV, reflecting the experience and complexity of the role. The table below shows how many data engineer filings in San Francisco were certified at each level, real filing counts, not estimated wages per level. DOL wage levels are a Department of Labor classification and are unrelated to an employer's internal engineering levels.

DOL Wage Level	Certified Filings	Share
Level I	40	7.6%
Level II	175	33.2%
Level III	178	33.8%
Level IV	134	25.4%

Based on 527 filings with a recorded wage level, FY2021–FY2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Facts

Certified Filings: 566
Median Wage: $167,710
National Median: $111,197
Data Vintage: FY2021–FY2024

Related H-1B Salary Pages

Methodology

Figures on this page are computed directly from certified Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) in US Department of Labor disclosure data, 566 certified filings for data engineer roles in San Francisco, CA (FY2021–FY2024). Wages shown are offered wages as certified on the LCA, not DOL prevailing-wage floors. Percentiles are computed across individual filings; no figures are modeled or estimated.

DOL LCA Disclosure Data