Computer and Information Research Scientists salary
in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Middle 50%
- $108,670–$219,630
- vs U.S. median
- +22%
- Metro rank
- #5 of 29
Computer and Information Research Scientists in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro earn a median of $171,440 a year, based on BLS estimates for 1,670 jobs (May 2025). That is 22% above the U.S. median of $140,300 and 8% above the CA statewide median of $159,100. It ranks #5 of 29 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE1,670 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Employers filing for this job in San Francisco
12 employers · DOL
Median of each employer’s DOL LCA filings (5+ filings) in this metro, FY2026 Q3. Visa-sponsored positions only, base pay.
| Employer | Median base | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| FL2024-008 | $355,000 | 6 |
| OpenAI OpCo | $317,500 | 14 |
| Scale AI | $275,000 | 7 |
| Salesforce | $255,460 | 7 |
| Together Computer | $244,541 | 7 |
| Virtue AI | $230,000 | 7 |
| Visa U.S.A | $219,950 | 7 |
| Anysphere | $219,311 | 8 |
| Amazon | $215,000 | 45 |
| Anthropic, PBC | $209,082 | 28 |
| Impossible | $209,082 | 6 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Security | $205,160 | 5 |
Computer and Information Research Scientists pay in other CA metros
5 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $218,420 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $155,960 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $121,530 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $116,650 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $112,050 |
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Questions
What is the average Computer and Information Research Scientists salary in San Francisco?
The BLS median is $171,440 a year (May 2025). Half of the 1,670 jobs pay between $108,670 and $219,630. The 10th percentile is $96,440 and the 90th is $281,020.
Is San Francisco a high-paying metro for Computer and Information Research Scientists?
That is 22% above the U.S. median of $140,300 and 8% above the CA statewide median of $159,100. It ranks #5 of 29 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Computer and Information Research Scientists make an hour in San Francisco?
About $82.42 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $171,440 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $52.25–$105.59 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Which employers pay Computer and Information Research Scientists the most in San Francisco?
Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were FL2024-008 ($355,000), OpenAI OpCo ($317,500), Scale AI ($275,000). These are base wages for sponsored positions, not all employees.
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.