Highest-paying jobs in San Francisco
Highest-paying jobs in San Francisco
Despite recession fears and falling consumer confidence, the job market in the United States has remained relatively stable in 2025 thus far. According to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, around 177,000 new jobs were added in April, a slight decrease from the 185,000 new jobs added in the month before, but an extension of the country's 52-month streak of job growth. Unemployment rates also held relatively steady between April 2024 and April 2025, coming in at around 4%.
Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have it easy in the workplace. A December 2024 Payscale report found that nearly half (47%) of business organizations struggle to balance fair pay practices with spend optimization, and 18% plan to reduce pay increases in 2025 as a result.
For context, median weekly earnings across all employees in the U.S. stood at $1,194 in the first quarter of 2025. This represents an increase of 4.8% from a year prior and exceeds the Consumer Price Index's 2.7% increase in the same time period. However, there's one caveat: Earnings go much further in some places than in others.
In fact, the very definition of a "high-paying" job varies by location, as well as other factors such as industry and benefits. Even a six-figure salary may be considered low-income in places with an unusually high cost of living. Meanwhile, technology, finance, and health care jobs lead in terms of salary, but benefits like remote work can make other lower-paying jobs more desirable.
Regardless, anyone seeking a high-paying job should start by looking at the numbers. Stacker used BLS data to find the 50 highest-paying jobs in San Francisco. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
#50. Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $163,770
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 130 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $163,840
- Median hourly wage: $78.77
- Total employment: 2,860 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Computer science teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $163,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 410 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $164,020
- Median hourly wage: $78.86
- Total employment: 390 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $166,300
- Median hourly wage: $79.95
- Total employment: 9,350 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Physician assistants
- Median annual wage: $167,090
- Median hourly wage: $80.33
- Total employment: 1,980 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Advertising and promotions managers
- Median annual wage: $167,300
- Median hourly wage: $80.43
- Total employment: 460 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $168,160
- Median hourly wage: $80.85
- Total employment: 4,010 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Purchasing managers
- Median annual wage: $168,460
- Median hourly wage: $80.99
- Total employment: 1,190 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#41. Medical and health services managers
- Median annual wage: $168,750
- Median hourly wage: $81.13
- Total employment: 11,210 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $168,820
- Median hourly wage: $81.16
- Total employment: 1,860 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $170,000
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 530 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $170,700
- Median hourly wage: $82.07
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Training and development managers
- Median annual wage: $172,160
- Median hourly wage: $82.77
- Total employment: 1,090 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $172,920
- Median hourly wage: $83.14
- Total employment: 5,090 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $173,900
- Median hourly wage: $83.61
- Total employment: 1,720 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. Sales managers
- Median annual wage: $174,610
- Median hourly wage: $83.95
- Total employment: 17,890 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $174,910
- Median hourly wage: $84.09
- Total employment: 76,900 people (31.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Medical dosimetrists
- Median annual wage: $176,360
- Median hourly wage: $84.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Compensation and benefits managers
- Median annual wage: $176,740
- Median hourly wage: $84.97
- Total employment: 610 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Geography teachers, postsecondary
- Median annual wage: $178,550
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Public relations managers
- Median annual wage: $178,850
- Median hourly wage: $85.99
- Total employment: 2,040 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $182,530
- Median hourly wage: $87.76
- Total employment: 170 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Pharmacists
- Median annual wage: $183,510
- Median hourly wage: $88.23
- Total employment: 4,230 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $184,470
- Median hourly wage: $88.69
- Total employment: 190 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. Mathematical science occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $186,360
- Median hourly wage: $89.60
- Total employment: 130 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Veterinarians
- Median annual wage: $187,990
- Median hourly wage: $90.38
- Total employment: 1,220 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Registered nurses
- Median annual wage: $188,020
- Median hourly wage: $90.40
- Total employment: 40,750 people (16.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $188,930
- Median hourly wage: $90.83
- Total employment: 420 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $203,030
- Median hourly wage: $97.61
- Total employment: 22,980 people (9.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Nurse midwives
- Median annual wage: $204,980
- Median hourly wage: $98.55
- Total employment: 200 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. Dentists, general
- Median annual wage: $205,380
- Median hourly wage: $98.74
- Total employment: 1,680 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Human resources managers
- Median annual wage: $206,420
- Median hourly wage: $99.24
- Total employment: 5,890 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Architectural and engineering managers
- Median annual wage: $208,580
- Median hourly wage: $100.28
- Total employment: 6,380 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. Financial managers
- Median annual wage: $211,730
- Median hourly wage: $101.79
- Total employment: 18,380 people (7.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Podiatrists
- Median annual wage: $211,750
- Median hourly wage: $101.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Marketing managers
- Median annual wage: $212,520
- Median hourly wage: $102.17
- Total employment: 12,820 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Lawyers
- Median annual wage: $215,090
- Median hourly wage: $103.41
- Total employment: 16,940 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. Nurse practitioners
- Median annual wage: $220,330
- Median hourly wage: $105.93
- Total employment: 2,960 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Computer and information systems managers
- Median annual wage: $221,810
- Median hourly wage: $106.64
- Total employment: 26,640 people (11.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Natural sciences managers
- Median annual wage: $222,840
- Median hourly wage: $107.13
- Total employment: 5,160 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Psychiatrists (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 510 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Chief executives (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 6,170 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Family medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 3,080 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. General internal medicine physicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Ophthalmologists, except pediatric (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 210 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,490 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Pediatricians, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: Not available
#1. Physicians, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: At least $239,200
- Median hourly wage: At least $115.00
- Total employment: 2,340 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
