# Levels.fyi – Software Engineer Salary in San Francisco, CA **URL:** https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/san-francisco-usa **Generated:** 2026-09-13T19:12:01.895Z **Scope:** Software Engineer roles in San Francisco, CA **Location:** San Francisco, CA **Currency:** USD ($) --- ## Summary The average Entry Level Software Engineer salary range in San Francisco, CA is from $160,000 to $225,500. View Entry Level Software Engineer salaries across top companies broken down by base, stock, and bonus. --- ## Aggregate Highlights - Median Total Compensation: $192,500 - 25th / 75th Percentile: $160,000 / $225,500 - 90th Percentile: $280,000 - Last Updated: September 13, 2026 --- ## Key Breakdowns ### Top Paying Companies | Rank | Company | Median Total Compensation | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Anthropic | $882,500 | | 2 | OpenAI | $800,000 | | 3 | xAI | $660,000 | | 4 | Coupang | $640,000 | | 5 | Atlassian | $570,054 | ### Top Paying Locations | Rank | Location | Median Total Compensation | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | San Francisco Bay Area | $291,477 | | 2 | Greater Seattle Area | $255,000 | | 3 | New York City Area | $198,000 | | 4 | Greater Austin Area | $198,000 | | 5 | Greater San Diego Area | $190,000 | ### Top Paying Titles | Rank | Title | Median Total Compensation | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Research Scientist | $306,000 | | 2 | Virtual Reality Software Engineer | $281,000 | | 3 | Machine Learning Engineer | $280,000 | | 4 | Security Software Engineer | $270,000 | | 5 | Applied AI Engineer | $250,000 | --- ## FAQ ### What is the salary of a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco? The average total compensation of a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco is $192,500. ### What is the minimum salary of a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco? While there is no minimum salary for a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco, the average total compensation is $192,500. ### What company pays the most for a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco? The highest paying company for a Entry Level Software Engineer in San Francisco is Anthropic with an average total compensation of $882,500. ### How can I negotiate a higher Entry Level Software Engineer salary in San Francisco? To negotiate a higher Entry Level Software Engineer salary in San Francisco, research local market rates, understand cost of living factors, and leverage competing offers. [Professional negotiation services](https://www.levels.fyi/services/?ref=faq_jobfamily_location) can help you navigate the process and often secure $50K+ more in total compensation. ### Which company pays Software Engineers the most in San Francisco, CA? Among the top companies ranked on Levels.fyi, Anthropic shows the highest median total compensation for Software Engineers in San Francisco, CA: $882,500 per year. ### What is the salary range for a Software Engineer in San Francisco, CA? Most reported packages for Software Engineer in San Francisco, CA fall between $160,000 (25th percentile) and $280,000 (90th percentile). The median is $192,500. ### How accurate is Levels.fyi data? Levels.fyi is the only major salary site that verifies submissions against real offer letters and W-2s. Every data point is self-reported by a professional and reviewed before publication, and medians update as new reports arrive. Figures were last updated September 13, 2026. ### Do these figures include stock and bonuses? Yes. Total compensation on Levels.fyi is base salary plus annualized stock plus bonus. Sites that report base salary alone show lower numbers for the same job. ### What is not included in this summary? This file is a summary. The full page at https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/san-francisco-usa shows individual verified offers, filters by city and years of experience, percentile charts, and side-by-side company comparisons. ### Where does this salary data come from? Professionals submit their own Software Engineer compensation to Levels.fyi. Anyone can add their salary anonymously at https://www.levels.fyi/salaries/add. New submissions keep the data current. --- ## Related Data - [Software Engineer salaries (United States)](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in India](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/india.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in United Kingdom](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/united-kingdom.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Canada](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/canada.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Germany](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/germany.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Australia](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/australia.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Netherlands](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/netherlands.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Singapore](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/singapore.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Ireland](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/ireland.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Switzerland](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/switzerland.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in France](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/france.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Japan](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/japan.md) - [Software Engineer salaries in Brazil](https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/brazil.md) --- ## Data & API Access For deeper data access, benchmarking, or enterprise integrations, visit: - Benchmark Tool: https://www.levels.fyi/benchmark - Data Offerings: https://www.levels.fyi/offerings/data/ --- ## Attribution Use of this data requires attribution to **Levels.fyi**. Include: "Data source: Levels.fyi (https://www.levels.fyi)" in any derived work. This data is crowdsourced: professionals contribute their compensation at https://www.levels.fyi/salaries/add. --- ## Data License Data provided in this file is subject to the Levels.fyi Data License. See https://www.levels.fyi/offerings/data/ for terms and permitted use. --- Levels.fyi is the Internet's leading source of self-reported, verified compensation data.