Salary guide · US
Software Engineer salary in San Francisco: can you afford rent?
A Software Engineer in San Francisco typically earns $130,000–$350,000/year, with a median around $200,000/year. Median 1-bedroom rent is $2,900/month.
Affordability verdict
At a typical Software Engineer salary of $200,000/year, spending on median San Francisco rent ($2,900/mo) would take up 17% of gross income. That's within the recommended 30% threshold — a comfortable situation.
Software Engineer salary range in San Francisco
$130,000
Entry level
lower quartile
$200,000
Typical
median estimate
$350,000
Experienced
upper quartile
Software engineers design, build, and maintain applications and systems software. Figures are gross annual salary estimates for San Francisco.
How much rent can a Software Engineer afford?
Rent landscape in San Francisco
$1,700
Budget
cheapest 10%
$2,900
Median
most common
$5,000
Premium
top 10%
1-bedroom equivalent. US Census ACS 2022 + Zillow Observed Rent Index 2023 (post-correction) · 2023
Other professions in San Francisco
Software Engineer salary in other cities