Comprehensive salary data, cost of living, and employment information for San Francisco, California. Population: 873,965.
Reviewed by Alexander O.M., MBA, BSc Engineering•Updated
San Francisco's $126,187 median household income is among the highest of any major US city, reflecting the concentration of technology, finance, and biotech employment in the metro. Salesforce is the city's largest private employer by headcount (with its Mission Street tower anchoring the downtown skyline), UCSF runs one of the largest biomedical research operations in the country, and Wells Fargo maintains its historic headquarters in the Financial District. The post-2020 shift has been economically consequential: San Francisco's downtown office vacancy rate exceeded 30% by 2024 as major tech employers adopted permanent remote and hybrid work, and several mid-tier tech firms relocated their operations to Austin, Miami, and Seattle. Population declined modestly over the same period — a reversal after a decade of growth. The cost-of-living index of 245 is driven overwhelmingly by housing — median single-family home prices exceed $1.35 million, and one-bedroom rent medians run above $3,200. California's state income tax (1% to 13.3%) compounds the gross-to-net wage gap. Full breakdown below.
Median Individual
$68,883
per year
Median Household
$126,187
per year
Cost of Living
245
Extremely Expensive (US avg = 100)
Population
1K
Salary Breakdown for San Francisco
The median individual income in San Francisco is $68,883 per year, which works out to approximately $5,740/month or $33.12/hour for full-time workers. The median household income is $126,187.
Cost of Living Adjusted Salary
San Francisco's cost of living index is 245 (national average = 100). The median salary of $68,883 in San Francisco has the purchasing power of approximately $28,116 at the national average cost of living. The high cost of living in San Francisco means you need a significantly higher salary to maintain the same standard of living as cheaper cities.