Software Developers pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $128,090 a year or less, while the top 10% make $273,400 or more. The middle half of software developers in San Francisco earn between $163,500 and $219,670.
- $128K10th
- $164K25th
- $187KMedian
- $220K75th
- $273K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $193,430 | $16,119 | $93.00 |
| Median | $186,640 | $15,553 | $89.73 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $163,500 | $13,625 | $78.61 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $219,670 | $18,306 | $105.61 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Software Developers salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $193,430, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $130,132 a year, or $10,844 a month and $5,005 every two weeks. Taxes take 33% 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 software developers? 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 $193,430 buys what about $167,308 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Software Developers salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 2nd of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($221,710).
- San Jose$221,710
- San Francisco$193,430
- Oxnard$174,020
- San Diego$163,300
- Los Angeles$161,900
- Santa Maria$158,220
- San Luis Obispo$155,770
- Napa$154,740
- Santa Cruz$153,930
- Bakersfield$153,610
Highest-paying cities for software developers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($221,710).
- San Jose, CA$221,710
- San Francisco, CA$193,430
- Seattle, WA$174,920
- Oxnard, CA$174,020
- Boulder, CO$166,480
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Software Developers salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do software developers make an hour in San Francisco?
$93.00 an hour on average, and $89.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level software developers salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $128,090 a year and the 25th percentile is $163,500, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the software developers take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $130,132 a year ($10,844 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $193,430. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do software developers earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 29% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($150,439).
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 15-1252; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 2.68, this job is 2.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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