Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
63 Highest Paying Jobs in San Francisco, CA (2026)
The highest-paying job in San Francisco, CA, California is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $304,560 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data. Across all 63 tracked occupations the average median is $148,603, with 55 occupations paying a six-figure ($100K+) median. San Francisco, CA has a cost-of-living index of 179.6 (national average = 100), so a $148,603 nominal salary equals $82,741 in average-cost-metro buying power.
The 63 occupations below are ranked by median wage in San Francisco, CA, CA, from BLS OEWS data. San Francisco, CA's cost-of-living index runs 179.6 (national baseline = 100), which shapes the headline-wage interpretation. Top-paying occupations in any U.S. metro typically cluster around physicians, dentists, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals. The specific top of the list varies with local industry concentration: tech-heavy metros boost software-engineering ranks, finance-heavy metros boost banking ranks.
Each role on the ranking links to the per-role-and-city page with full percentile distribution (p10 to p90), employment count, and cost-adjusted wage. For workers comparing offers within San Francisco, CA, the percentile data is the most decision-relevant.
Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Ranked by median (50th percentile) salary. The COL-Adjusted column rebases each nominal salary to San Francisco, CA's cost-of-living index of 179.6 so you can compare buying power against an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $304,560 · 10th–90th $98,220–$534,110 · 2,170 jobs in metro
Family Medicine Physicians in San Francisco, CA earn $304,560 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $534,110. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $169,577 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $232,890 · 10th–90th $155,660–$335,770 · 23,830 jobs in metro
Computer and Information Systems Managers in San Francisco, CA earn $232,890 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $335,770. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $129,671 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $220,480 · 10th–90th $133,990–$333,430 · 11,170 jobs in metro
Marketing Managers in San Francisco, CA earn $220,480 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $333,430. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $122,762 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $219,080 · 10th–90th $153,280–$273,960 · 3,110 jobs in metro
Nurse Practitioners in San Francisco, CA earn $219,080 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $273,960. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $121,982 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $216,150 · 10th–90th $123,280–$356,070 · 17,040 jobs in metro
Financial Managers in San Francisco, CA earn $216,150 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $356,070. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $120,351 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $212,500 · 10th–90th $98,280–$375,580 · 18,470 jobs in metro
Lawyers in San Francisco, CA earn $212,500 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $375,580. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $118,318 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $209,340 · 10th–90th $123,950–$323,850 · 4,960 jobs in metro
Human Resources Managers in San Francisco, CA earn $209,340 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $323,850. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $116,559 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $208,080 · 10th–90th $89,130–$295,420 · 1,350 jobs in metro
Veterinarians in San Francisco, CA earn $208,080 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $295,420. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $115,857 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $207,450 · 10th–90th $102,600–$447,610 · 810 jobs in metro
Pediatricians in San Francisco, CA earn $207,450 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $447,610. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $115,507 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Median $202,060 · 10th–90th $119,750–$322,930 · 2,090 jobs in metro
Dentists in San Francisco, CA earn $202,060 median, with top earners (90th percentile) over $322,930. Adjusted for the local cost of living, that median equals $112,506 of buying power in an average-cost U.S. metro.
Full Ranking (63 Occupations)
| Rank | Role | Category | Median | 10th–90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $304,560 | $98,220–$534,110 | $169,577 | 2,170 |
| 2 | Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $232,890 | $155,660–$335,770 | $129,671 | 23,830 |
| 3 | Marketing Manager | Management | $220,480 | $133,990–$333,430 | $122,762 | 11,170 |
| 4 | Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $219,080 | $153,280–$273,960 | $121,982 | 3,110 |
| 5 | Financial Manager | Finance | $216,150 | $123,280–$356,070 | $120,351 | 17,040 |
| 6 | Lawyer | Legal | $212,500 | $98,280–$375,580 | $118,318 | 18,470 |
| 7 | Human Resources Manager | Management | $209,340 | $123,950–$323,850 | $116,559 | 4,960 |
| 8 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $208,080 | $89,130–$295,420 | $115,857 | 1,350 |
| 9 | Pediatrician | Healthcare | $207,450 | $102,600–$447,610 | $115,507 | 810 |
| 10 | Dentist | Healthcare | $202,060 | $119,750–$322,930 | $112,506 | 2,090 |
| 11 | Obstetrician/Gynecologist | Healthcare | $198,720 | $103,510–$442,830 | $110,646 | 0 |
| 12 | Software Developer | Technology | $186,640 | $128,090–$273,400 | $103,920 | 69,030 |
| 13 | Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $186,610 | $119,290–$223,770 | $103,903 | 41,750 |
| 14 | Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $184,380 | $106,150–$237,980 | $102,661 | 1,830 |
| 15 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $177,410 | $135,580–$229,220 | $98,781 | 3,670 |
| 16 | Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $171,440 | $96,440–$281,020 | $95,457 | 1,670 |
| 17 | Sales Manager | Management | $170,810 | $78,120–$336,650 | $95,106 | 17,770 |
| 18 | Data Scientist | Technology | $170,110 | $99,170–$272,430 | $94,716 | 10,460 |
| 19 | Computer Network Architect | Technology | $166,760 | $121,160–$242,150 | $92,851 | 3,350 |
| 20 | Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $166,310 | $67,320–$315,430 | $92,600 | 11,980 |
| 21 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $166,030 | $97,500–$219,070 | $92,444 | 2,470 |
| 22 | Web Developer | Technology | $163,810 | $81,120–$230,700 | $91,208 | 6,630 |
| 23 | Information Security Analyst | Technology | $162,310 | $61,860–$246,070 | $90,373 | 3,730 |
| 24 | Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $161,700 | $63,340–$255,390 | $90,033 | 16,930 |
| 25 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $161,370 | $102,710–$212,380 | $89,850 | 5,150 |
| 26 | Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $160,610 | $76,900–$450,120 | $89,427 | 7,130 |
| 27 | Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $159,800 | $86,080–$273,780 | $88,976 | 4,850 |
| 28 | Web Designer | Technology | $152,450 | $80,190–$216,060 | $84,883 | 1,420 |
| 29 | General and Operations Manager | Management | $149,990 | $70,960–$330,110 | $83,513 | 43,520 |
| 30 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $146,760 | $109,460–$156,580 | $81,715 | 3,780 |
| 31 | Optometrist | Healthcare | $142,580 | $107,780–$221,350 | $79,388 | 1,180 |
| 32 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $141,980 | $103,860–$188,070 | $79,053 | 3,140 |
| 33 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $136,770 | $96,250–$171,460 | $76,153 | 1,560 |
| 34 | Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $134,630 | $75,100–$205,990 | $74,961 | 5,880 |
| 35 | Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $134,460 | $91,480–$209,150 | $74,866 | 11,180 |
| 36 | Audiologist | Healthcare | $132,390 | $106,240–$164,050 | $73,714 | 220 |
| 37 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $132,230 | $90,240–$198,560 | $73,625 | 5,470 |
| 38 | Financial Examiner | Finance | $131,820 | $81,190–$277,930 | $73,396 | 750 |
| 39 | Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $130,850 | $97,980–$163,610 | $72,856 | 1,760 |
| 40 | Computer Programmer | Technology | $130,730 | $74,110–$174,770 | $72,790 | 2,440 |
| 41 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $130,520 | $82,570–$217,160 | $72,673 | 9,910 |
| 42 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $130,160 | $90,860–$202,730 | $72,472 | 10,990 |
| 43 | Network Architect | Technology | $129,680 | $82,760–$193,250 | $72,205 | 3,910 |
| 44 | Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $128,640 | $63,300–$274,540 | $71,626 | 430 |
| 45 | Database Architect | Technology | $127,760 | $66,750–$210,810 | $71,136 | 1,470 |
| 46 | Management Analyst | Management | $126,730 | $64,080–$211,790 | $70,562 | 23,560 |
| 47 | Architect | Engineering | $126,550 | $78,990–$200,380 | $70,462 | 3,780 |
| 48 | Market Research Analyst | Management | $123,250 | $60,680–$211,140 | $68,625 | 24,120 |
| 49 | Accountant | Finance | $110,730 | $73,420–$180,060 | $61,654 | 25,170 |
| 50 | Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $110,560 | $76,090–$176,850 | $61,559 | 2,050 |
| 51 | Loan Officer | Finance | $103,000 | $44,440–$201,080 | $57,350 | 3,330 |
| 52 | Secondary School Teacher | Education | $102,880 | $72,820–$146,540 | $57,283 | 11,520 |
| 53 | Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $102,520 | $58,030–$179,710 | $57,082 | 6,290 |
| 54 | Elementary School Teacher | Education | $101,860 | $62,340–$126,700 | $56,715 | 17,860 |
| 55 | Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $101,600 | $65,070–$172,060 | $56,570 | 2,370 |
| 56 | Electrician | Trades | $92,830 | $55,360–$182,340 | $51,687 | 9,060 |
| 57 | Graphic Designer | Creative | $92,050 | $54,470–$142,460 | $51,253 | 3,870 |
| 58 | Carpenter | Trades | $89,200 | $59,020–$132,760 | $49,666 | 14,010 |
| 59 | Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $84,130 | $55,570–$133,660 | $46,843 | 5,210 |
| 60 | Paralegal | Legal | $84,030 | $58,590–$131,820 | $46,787 | 7,630 |
| 61 | Plumber | Trades | $77,880 | $48,540–$155,330 | $43,363 | 5,660 |
| 62 | Automotive Technician | Trades | $76,030 | $45,210–$108,070 | $42,333 | 7,270 |
| 63 | Welder | Trades | $64,320 | $48,010–$99,930 | $35,813 | 1,990 |
Why These Roles Pay the Most in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA's pay distribution is dominated by software and information-services roles. The density of large technology employers, deep venture capital, and a small geographic labor market combine to push tech-sector wages well above any other U.S. metro. Non-tech roles also pay above-average premiums because employers must compete with tech salaries to retain workers.
An average median salary above $90K places this metro in the top tier of U.S. cities for nominal pay. Most of that premium accrues to the upper percentiles of skilled and managerial occupations; entry-level and service-sector pay is closer to national norms.
San Francisco, CA's cost-of-living index of 179.6 is among the highest tracked anywhere. Roughly 50% of nominal salary gains relative to a national-average metro are absorbed by housing alone; an additional 5–15% is consumed by transportation, food, and services. The COL-Adjusted column in the table above translates each nominal salary back to "what would buy this much in an average-cost metro" — that is the right benchmark for a cross-city comparison.
How to Use This Ranking
For salary negotiation, the median is a starting anchor — not the ceiling. A Family Medicine Physician with five-plus years of experience in San Francisco, CA should be benchmarking against the 75th percentile ($419,335) or 90th percentile ($534,110), not the $304,560 median. Use the salary percentile calculator to place any specific salary into the BLS distribution for any role-and-city pair.
For cross-city comparisons, ignore the nominal Median column and look at COL-Adjusted. A $305K Family Medicine Physician salary in San Francisco, CA (COL 179.6) translates to $170K of buying power in an average-cost metro — that is the apples-to-apples figure when weighing a relocation. Read the methodology behind these adjustments in our methodology page.
For job hunting, focus on the top-10 ranking above and on the role-by-role detail pages — each links through to a Family Medicine Physician in San Francisco, CA page with full percentile breakdowns, year-over-year change, and prevailing-wage references for H-1B / PERM applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest paying job in San Francisco, CA is Family Medicine Physician with a median salary of $304,560 and a 90th-percentile reading of $534,110. The role employs roughly 2,170 workers in this metro according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2025 OEWS data.
55 of the 63 BLS-tracked occupations in San Francisco, CA have a median salary of $100,000 or higher. That is well above what most U.S. metros offer. See the full list ranked by median salary above.
Across 63 BLS-tracked occupations, the average median salary in San Francisco, CA is $148,603. The cost-of-living index is 179.6, so adjusted to a national-average baseline, the average is $82,741 in equivalent purchasing power.
San Francisco, CA offers high nominal salaries — the average median is $148,603 — but the cost of living index of 179.6 consumes a meaningful share of that premium. The COL-adjusted average is $82,741, which is the right comparison when weighing offers in lower-cost metros.
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers across all industries. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile wages by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. The same data is used by the Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Related Pages
Rankings based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 reference period. COL adjustments use a composite cost-of-living index calibrated to U.S. average = 100.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.