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Staff Software Engineers in San Francisco earn $218K–$278K. Median: $245K. Based on 792 public job postings (2025–2026).
Median: $290K · Based on 69 public job postings · Updated April 2026
San Francisco salary data for Staff Software Engineer roles at high-growth companies.
San Francisco Staff Software Engineer pay runs 9% above the national median.
Staff Software Engineers are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Staff-level base compensation for San Francisco-based roles at high-growth and AI-native companies.
What is the average Staff Software Engineer salary in San Francisco?
The median pay is $245K, with a typical range of $218K–$278K, based on 792 public San Francisco job postings collected in 2025–2026.
How does San Francisco compare to the national Staff Software Engineer salary?
The national median is $225K; San Francisco is shown above.
Where does this data come from?
Public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. Minimum 15 San Francisco postings.
Posted-range midpoints (USD) aggregated from 792 public job postings located in San Francisco (2025–2026). Range = 25th–75th percentile; median = 50th percentile. Equity is excluded. At least 15 San Francisco postings required to publish. Last refreshed July 1, 2026.
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