Electrician.
San Francisco.
$80,000
median salary, 29% above the national average
$64,000 to $106,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
San Francisco is 35% more expensive than the national average. For Electricians, that shakes out to a median of $80,000, with the full range spanning $64,000 to $106,000. License level (journeyman vs. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Electrician in San Francisco, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $92,830 for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, based on 9,060 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$55,360
25th percentile
$70,090
Median
$92,830
75th percentile
$130,260
90th percentile
$182,340
Workers surveyed
9,060
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Electricians (SOC 47-2111) rather than Electrician specifically. The San Francisco range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 47-2111Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $72,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$52,000
to $64,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$68,000
to $84,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$88,000
to $104,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$100,000
to $124,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$80,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $97,000
How San Francisco compares.
San Francisco, CA
$80,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$62,000
San Francisco is $18,000 above
Electrician salary by city.
Salary by role in San Francisco.
What you should know.
Here is what the Electrician market actually looks like in San Francisco. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. The city's concentration of AI labs, SaaS companies, and fintech firms creates intense competition for talent. Despite remote work trends, SF still commands the steepest salary premiums for engineering and product roles. License level (journeyman vs. master), union membership, and specialization are the primary factors. Industrial electricians and those working on high voltage systems earn significantly more than residential wirers. Overtime availability, geographic demand, and experience with renewable energy systems (solar, EV charging) also drive compensation upward.
Apprentice electricians earn $35,000 to $48,000 during their four to five year training. Journeyman electricians earn $55,000 to $80,000. Master electricians command $75,000 to $105,000. Electrical contractors who start their own business or move into project management can earn $100,000 to $150,000+. In San Francisco, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 35% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Union electricians receive substantial benefits including pension contributions, health insurance, annuity, and apprenticeship funds that add 30 to 40% on top of hourly wages. Overtime at 1.5x to 2x the base rate is common. Non union electricians negotiate benefits individually, with more variation in total package value. And on the tax side: california's top marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep. When someone quotes you $80,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here. The range for Electricians in San Francisco runs from $64,000 to $106,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- An Insurance Agent in San Francisco earns $79,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
Electrician salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Francisco.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Electricians in San Francisco.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Electrician Salary in San Francisco, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/electrician/san-francisco
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