Mechanical Engineer San Francisco, CA
Mechanical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Typical pay
$160,000a year
Most Mechanical Engineers earn $140k to $177k a year
From 224 current job postings, updated Nov 13, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Mechanical Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA is $160,000 a year. Most job postings pay $140,000 to $177,300. From 224 current job postings, updated Nov 13, 2026.
How much does a Mechanical Engineer make an hour?
A Mechanical Engineer in San Francisco, CA typically makes about $76.92 an hour. Most job postings pay $67.31 to $85.26.
How much does a Mechanical Engineer make a year?
A Mechanical Engineer in San Francisco, CA typically makes about $160,000 a year. Most job postings pay $140,000 to $177,300.
421 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by city in California
Back to the whole USCalifornia
$150k typical, most $126k to $175k
| San Jose, CA | $165k | $138k to $191k | 289 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $160k | $140k to $177k | 224 |
| San Diego, CA | $141k | $109k to $165k | 106 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $140k | $120k to $168k | 668 |
| Bakersfield, CA | – | – | 10 |
| Chico, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Fresno, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Modesto, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Oxnard, CA | – | – | 13 |
| Redding, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Riverside, CA | – | – | 13 |
| Sacramento, CA | – | – | 37 |
| Salinas, CA | – | – | 1 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | – | – | 10 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | – | – | 4 |
| Santa Maria, CA | – | – | 15 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | – | – | 4 |
| Stockton, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Vallejo, CA | – | – | 6 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per year. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 1 job postings
- Experienced 79 job postings$119k $164k
Typical: $145k
- Senior 94 job postings$152k $189k
Typical: $170k
- Lead or manager 10 job postings$161k $195k
Typical: $188k
Not enough postings yet to show pay for Starting out. We show pay once 10 postings at a level list it.
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Mechanical Engineer job postings in San Francisco, CA pay at it.
Senior: most postings pay $152k to $189k a year, typically $170k.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical yearly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
| Employer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLNL | $184k | – | – | – | – |
Cost of living in San Francisco, CA
About $7,296 a month for 1 adult, 1 bedroom rental, a car, taxes included. Everyday prices run about 16% above the US average.
See the cost of living for your setupBased on public data from HUD, the Census, BEA, the Labor Department and EPA, plus Workybara job postings.
How much does a Mechanical Engineer make in San Francisco, CA?
Employers hiring now typically offer $160,000 a year for Mechanical Engineer roles in San Francisco, CA. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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