Mechanical Engineers salary in San Francisco, CA

Median pay for mechanical engineers in San Francisco, CA: $136,970/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $83,120 – $196,080 · about 4,700 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$41,365 (+43%).

What it's really worth in San Francisco

With San Francisco's cost of living at 118 (US=100), that $136,970 has the buying power of about $116,520 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $129,315 · median home $1,149,215 · median rent $3,258/mo.

Full San Francisco cost of living & taxes →

How San Francisco ranks for this job

On raw pay, San Francisco, CA is 2nd of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once San Francisco's cost of living is applied, it ranks 11th.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so San Francisco sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in San Francisco

A median home in San Francisco, CA costs $1,149,215 — about 8.4× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $3,258/mo works out at 29% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where mechanical engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to San Francisco.

Metro	Median pay	vs San Francisco	Rent vs San Francisco
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+12%	1.1×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	−2%	0.5×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	−5%	0.4×
Baton Rouge, LA	$130,490	−5%	0.4×

Same job elsewhere in CA

Metro	Median pay	vs San Francisco	Rent vs San Francisco
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+12%	1.1×
Santa Cruz, CA	$126,560	−8%	1.1×
San Diego, CA	$122,350	−11%	0.9×
Santa Maria, CA	$121,160	−12%	1×

Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Other jobs in San Francisco