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 Scientist filings in San Francisco, CA have a median of $163,500, which is 47% above that national figure.

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

Of 1,703 filings with a recorded DOL wage level, 135 are Level I, 615 Level II, 534 Level III and 419 Level IV, so 56% 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 scientist roles in San Francisco?

By certified filing volume, the leading sponsors are Uber Technologies, Inc. (86 filings, median $148,275), DoorDash, Inc. (80 filings, median $189,443), Airbnb, Inc. (37 filings, median $168,200), Salesforce, Inc. (36 filings, median $192,777), Pinterest, Inc. (35 filings, median $156,853). 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 Scientist Salary in San Francisco 2026

The median offered wage on certified H-1B filings for data scientist roles in San Francisco, CA is $163,500, with a 25th–75th percentile range of $138,216–$190,100. Based on 1,751 certified LCA filings (FY2021–FY2024).

1,751

Certified Filings

$163,500

Median Offered Wage

56%

Level III/IV Share

Offered Wage Distribution

25th percentile	$138,216
Median	$163,500
75th percentile	$190,100
Average	$167,797

Offered wages as certified on the LCA. Source: DOL LCA disclosure data, FY2021–FY2024 (1,751 certified filings).

Most Common Certified Job Titles

Job Title (as filed)	Filings	Median
Data Scientist	421	$151,100
Senior Data Scientist	193	$180,000
Data Scientist II	68	$159,700

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

Top Sponsoring Employers

Employer	Filings	Median Wage	Level III/IV
Uber Technologies, Inc.	86	$148,275	31.4%
DoorDash, Inc.	80	$189,443	84.6%
Airbnb, Inc.	37	$168,200	83.8%
Salesforce, Inc.	36	$192,777	44.4%
Pinterest, Inc.	35	$156,853	41.4%
Google LLC	35	$171,000	45.5%

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 scientist 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	135	7.9%
Level II	615	36.1%
Level III	534	31.4%
Level IV	419	24.6%

Based on 1,703 filings with a recorded wage level, FY2021–FY2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Facts

Certified Filings: 1,751
Median Wage: $163,500
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, 1,751 certified filings for data scientist 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