Computer Hardware Engineers salary
in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Middle 50%
- $151,970–$221,290
- vs U.S. median
- +26%
- Metro rank
- #2 of 40
Computer Hardware Engineers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro earn a median of $203,890 a year, based on BLS estimates for 2,810 jobs (May 2025). That is 26% above the U.S. median of $161,740 and 10% above the CA statewide median of $185,180. It ranks #2 of 40 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE2,810 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
3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI OpCo | $380,000 | 12 |
| Meta Platforms | $210,642 | 11 |
| Quanta Manufacturing Nashville | $111,000 | 7 |
Computer Hardware Engineers pay in other CA metros
5 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $209,860 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $174,440 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $158,530 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $134,060 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $127,730 |
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Questions
What is the average Computer Hardware Engineers salary in San Francisco?
The BLS median is $203,890 a year (May 2025). Half of the 2,810 jobs pay between $151,970 and $221,290. The 10th percentile is $130,800 and the 90th is $284,580.
Is San Francisco a high-paying metro for Computer Hardware Engineers?
That is 26% above the U.S. median of $161,740 and 10% above the CA statewide median of $185,180. It ranks #2 of 40 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Computer Hardware Engineers make an hour in San Francisco?
About $98.02 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $203,890 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $73.06–$106.39 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 Hardware Engineers the most in San Francisco?
Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were OpenAI OpCo ($380,000), Meta Platforms ($210,642), Quanta Manufacturing Nashville ($111,000). 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.