Environmental Engineer.
San Francisco.
$146,000
median salary, 40% above the national average
$114,000 to $184,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Environmental Engineer pay in San Francisco at $146,000, within a range of $114,000 to $184,000. That is 40% above the national average. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. 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 Environmental Engineer 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 $138,840 for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, based on 550 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$77,050
25th percentile
$108,040
Median
$138,840
75th percentile
$161,800
90th percentile
$176,660
Workers surveyed
550
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) rather than Environmental Engineer 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 17-2081Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $131,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$95,000
to $117,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$124,000
to $153,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$161,000
to $190,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$183,000
to $226,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $39,000 to the total package.
Base
$146,000
Equity
$22,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $185,000
How San Francisco compares.
San Francisco, CA
$146,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$104,000
San Francisco is $42,000 above
Environmental Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in San Francisco.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate an Environmental Engineer offer in San Francisco, understand the terrain. 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. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Engineers working on remediation of contaminated sites or in the oil and gas sector earn premiums for hazardous conditions expertise.
Junior Environmental Engineers earn $70,000 to $80,000. Mid-career engineers with PE licensure reach $88,000 to $105,000. Senior Engineers and Project Managers command $105,000 to $130,000, while Principal Engineers and Directors at consulting firms exceed $145,000. 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. PE-licensed engineers receive immediate salary bumps of 10 to 15%. Annual bonuses of 5 to 12% are typical at consulting firms. Government roles offer pension benefits and strong job security, though base salaries trend 10 to 15% lower than private sector. 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 $146,000, 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 Environmental Engineers in San Francisco runs from $114,000 to $184,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Biomedical Engineer in San Francisco earns $149,000 (2% more)
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Common questions.
Environmental Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Francisco.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Environmental Engineers in San Francisco.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Environmental Engineer Salary in San Francisco, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/environmental-engineer/san-francisco
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