Complete 2026 breakdown by level. Data compiled from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor US Tech Salaries, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Built In San Francisco, Payscale.
Get Software Engineer roles matched to you →Base salary ranges + averages across all levels in San Francisco.
| Level | Range | Average |
|---|---|---|
Junior (L3 / E3) New grads and early-career engineers. Base only; equity adds meaningfully at funded startups and big tech. | $130,000–$170,000 | $150,000 |
Mid-level (L4 / E4) Ships features independently. The most-hired band in the Bay Area. | $160,000–$210,000 | $185,000 |
Senior (L5 / E5) Owns systems, leads projects, mentors. Total comp with equity often $350K+. | $200,000–$260,000 | $230,000 |
Staff (L6) Cross-team technical leadership. Total comp routinely $450K-$600K+ at big tech. | $250,000–$330,000 | $290,000 |
FAANG / Top Tech Google, Meta, Apple, Netflix, Stripe. Base is only part of the story; equity dominates total comp. | $280,000–$400,000 | $340,000 |
Bay Area SWE comp is base + significant equity + bonus. At senior+ levels, base is often only 55-65% of total comp. A $230K base senior can total $350K-$450K with RSUs.
SF software engineer pay is bimodal. Big tech and top-funded startups cluster at $200K+ base with heavy equity; smaller/seed startups cluster at $130K-$180K base with equity that may or may not pay off.
Companies actively hiring Software Engineers in San Francisco + their typical salary bands.
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