Conservation Scientists pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $132,760 or more. The middle half of conservation scientists in San Francisco earn between $78,940 and $108,590.
- $62K10th
- $79K25th
- $98KMedian
- $109K75th
- $133K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $99,130 | $8,261 | $47.66 |
| Median | $97,810 | $8,151 | $47.02 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $78,940 | $6,578 | $37.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $108,590 | $9,049 | $52.21 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Conservation Scientists salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $99,130, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $73,441 a year, or $6,120 a month and $2,825 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for conservation scientists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $99,130 buys what about $85,743 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Conservation Scientists salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 2nd of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($118,820).
- San Jose$118,820
- San Francisco$99,130
- Santa Cruz$96,480
- Sacramento$92,500
- Salinas$88,500
- Santa Maria$88,130
- San Diego$85,940
- Santa Rosa$85,840
- Oxnard$85,140
- Riverside$80,140
Highest-paying cities for conservation scientists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,820).
- San Jose, CA$118,820
- Washington, DC$108,770
- Springfield, IL$105,360
- Amherst, MA$99,360
- San Francisco, CA$99,130
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Conservation Scientists salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do conservation scientists make an hour in San Francisco?
$47.66 an hour on average, and $47.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level conservation scientists salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,940, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the conservation scientists take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $73,441 a year ($6,120 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $99,130. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do conservation scientists earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 26% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($78,606).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-1031; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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