Top 20 Highest Paying Jobs in San Francisco
According to the latest data, by the end of the year 2022, San Francisco, California is expected to have a GDP per capita of $96,177.
San Francisco is well-known as one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Fortunately, the job market is also promising in this part of the country, with many high-paying jobs available to those with the right training and experience.
Are you searching for work in San Francisco? Are you a student who wants to live here once you graduate? Either way, this guide can help you make smart career decisions.
Outlined below are the highest-paying jobs in San Francisco and the highest-paying industries in San Francisco. You’ll learn about the highest-paying jobs in San Francisco for fresh graduates, too, as well as the degrees you’ll need to qualify for those jobs.
What Salary Is Considered Rich in San Francisco?
It’s safe to assume that if you land one of the best-paid jobs in San Francisco, you’ll be bringing in an above-average salary. What does that look like here, though? What is considered “rich” in one of the United States’ most expensive cities?
The average annual salary for a San Francisco resident is $72,813 a year. Those in the 25th percentile of the population earn $57,948 per year or higher, and those in the 75th percentile earn $86,630 or less.
The cost of living in San Francisco is very high, with a family of 4’s estimated monthly expenses coming in at over $4,500 (not including rent) and a single person’s estimated monthly costs being more than $1,250 (not including rent).
When rental prices are factored in, things get even more expensive, as rental rates in San Francisco average nearly $3,000 for a 1-bedroom apartment in the city center. These prices are even higher (4.37 percent higher, but still) than New York’s rental prices.
With all this in mind, it’s safe to say that a high salary is needed for those who want to live comfortably in San Francisco. A salary of $100,000 or more per year would likely be sufficient to help you cover all of your bills and make sure you have a good amount of disposable income leftover.
What Is the #1 Highest-Paid Position in San Francisco?
What kinds of jobs do you need to look for in San Francisco if you want to earn more than $100,000 per year? The first option to consider is the number 1 highest-paid position is Psychiatrist.
Psychiatrists in San Francisco earn an average salary of $254,480 per year — more than 3 times the average San Francisco resident’s salary. They enjoy a high entry-level salary, too ($148,400 per year on average).
Because psychiatrists do such important work and spend so much time in school before they can start practicing, it makes sense that they are paid well for their efforts.
If you don’t want to work as a psychiatrist, though, there are plenty of other ways to earn a good living in San Francisco. This list breaks down the top 20 best-paid jobs in San Francisco, ranked from lowest to highest salary.
Top 5 Highest-Paying Industries in San Francisco
If you have no idea what kind of job you want to do, it might be helpful to take a step back and figure out which industry you want to work in. Listed below are the top 5 highest-paying industries in San Francisco. You’ll also find information about the top 3 careers in each field and their current job prospects:
The healthcare industry is, understandably, one of the top-paying industries in San Francisco (and California and the rest of the United States). There is a strong need for medical professionals in the San Francisco area, and these positions require a great deal of training, so they tend to get paid very well here.
Top 3 Careers
- Psychiatrists: Average Salary $254,480 per year
- General Internal Medicine Physicians: Average Salary $239,360 per year
- General Pediatricians: Average Salary $235,190 per year
Job Prospects: Because there is such a high demand for healthcare workers in San Francisco, job prospects look very good for those who want to work in this field in this part of the country. As long as you have the proper training and experience, you’ll likely have a very easy time getting hired as a medical professional here.
A wide range of businesses operate out of San Francisco, from major corporations like Lyft and Wells Fargo to a variety of small and medium-sized businesses. Because of this, there are lots of high-paying jobs available to those who want to work in the business management or admin sector.
Top 3 Careers
- Chief Executives: Average Salary $234,160 per year
- Marketing Managers: Average Salary $196,260 per year
- Advertising and Promotions Managers: Average Salary $181,540 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects for those who work in the business or admin field look very promising. There are lots of job openings available throughout this field, from management and director positions to entry-level positions. If you want to be part of this industry, you’ll likely be able to find work quite quickly.
San Francisco is home to Silicon Valley, where many startups (including a variety of tech startups) have their home bases. Because of this, the information technology industry is booming throughout the San Francisco area, and there are lots of high-paying positions available for those with backgrounds in computer science, software development, network architecture, and related fields.
Top 3 Careers
- Computer and Information Systems Managers: Average Salary $212,480 per year
- Computer and Information Research Scientists: Average Salary $163,330 per year
- Data Scientists and Mathematical Scientists: Average Salary $148,680 per year
Job Prospects: The job prospects for those who want to be part of the information technology industry look very good. There are tons of companies in San Francisco that need help from tech-savvy professionals, so you will likely be able to find a job (and a high-paying one at that) without having to look too hard.
The finance industry is another one of the highest-paying industries in San Francisco. There is a high demand for finance experts in the area, especially with so many businesses (including startups and small businesses) that need help from professionals to keep their finances in order.
Top 3 Careers
- Financial Managers: Average Salary $191,380 per year
- Personal Financial Advisors: Average Salary $155,960 per year
- Financial Examiners: Average Salary $130,230 per year
Job Prospects: If you want to find a career in the finance sector, your prospects look quite good in San Francisco. Because there’s such a high demand for finance experts here, you’ll probably be able to find a high-paying job here fairly easily.
The engineering industry is also very prominent in the San Francisco area. There are lots of businesses in this part of California that are hiring engineers and offering them above-average salaries, so this is a great field to consider if you want to earn a high salary and live comfortably in an expensive city.
Top 3 Careers
- Architectural and Engineering Managers: Average Salary $193,050 per year
- Computer Hardware Engineers: Average Salary $134,950 per year
- Environmental Engineers: Average Salary $124,210 per year
Job Prospects: Your job prospects look promising if you want to be an engineer in San Francisco. Engineers of all kinds are among the highest-paid professionals in this city, and there are also lots of job openings available to those who have the right training and experience.
Top 5 Highest-Paying Jobs in San Francisco for Fresh Graduates
If you’re a student who wants to earn a high salary right out of college, it’s a good idea to be informed about the highest-paying jobs in San Francisco for fresh graduates.
This list looks a bit different than the top 20 list in the previous section — after all, most people don’t leave college and immediately land in a CEO or management position. However, you’ll likely still see some of the same trends, especially when it comes to healthcare-related jobs.
Here are 5 of the best-paying jobs for fresh graduates:
General pediatricians earn some of the highest entry-level salaries in San Francisco — $153,080 per year on average, which is more than double the average salary for a San Francisco resident.
Pediatricians do very important work, and they’re in high demand, so it makes sense that they enjoy high salaries right after graduating.
Of course, it takes a lot of time and effort to become a pediatrician. In addition to 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of medical school, you’ll also need to complete a 3-year pediatric residency before you can begin practicing. The good news is that as soon as you finish your residency and find a job, you’ll be earning an above-average salary right away.
As the highest earners in San Francisco, psychiatrists also enjoy one of the highest entry-level salaries in the area.
On average, psychiatrists earn $148,400 per year when they start practicing. Like other healthcare professionals, their services are in high demand, so it’s understandable that they are paid well for their time and efforts.
Psychiatrists spend more time in school than many other medical professionals. In addition to spending 8 years in undergrad and medical school, they also have to complete a 4-year residency before they can start practicing. Once you finish your training and get hired, though, you’ll be rewarded with a six-figure salary.
Nursing professionals also earn higher-than-average salaries in the San Francisco area. Their services are just as in-demand as doctors and other types of healthcare workers, so they are compensated well for their hard work.
Nurse practitioners are some of the highest-earning nursing professionals here, and they also enjoy high entry-level salaries — $108,330 on average.
There’s more good news, too. It takes a lot less time to become a nurse practitioner than it does to become a doctor, even though they share many of the same responsibilities (counseling patients, diagnosing conditions, writing prescriptions, etc.).
Nurse practitioners need a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing, plus a master’s degree in nursing or another healthcare-related field. This means you can start practicing and earning a high salary sooner than many of your peers.
If you don’t want to work in the medical field but still want to enjoy a high-paying job after graduating, a career as an airline pilot may be a good fit.
Airline pilots earn an average entry-level salary of $111,750 per year, which is well above average for a San Francisco resident. They also get to travel all over the world and see places others only dream of seeing.
To become an airline pilot, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree and both a private pilot’s license and a commercial pilot’s license. It takes some time and a lot of training to become an airline pilot (which makes sense because they have a lot of responsibility), but it’s still less training than many of the other high-paying jobs on this list require.
Data scientists earn an average entry-level salary of $94,890 per year. Over time, though, they can earn quite a bit more — $148,680 per year on average.
Data scientists are responsible for gathering data and analyzing it for businesses to help them make wise decisions for the future. There is a high demand for data scientists throughout the San Francisco area, as many businesses operate out of this city and need advice from trained professionals to help them navigate the competitive scene.
To become a data scientist, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in a field like computer science, information technology, or a related field. Some go on to earn a master’s degree as well to increase their employment options.
What Degree Pays Most in San Francisco?
To qualify for one of the best-paid jobs in San Francisco, including the top 5 jobs listed above for fresh graduates, you will need to have a college degree.
The table below breaks down the top 5 degree types you might want to consider working toward as a student (or as someone who’s thinking about going back to school), as well as the potential salary you might be able to earn once you graduate.
Degree Type | Potential Salary |
Medical – Psychiatry | $254,480 per year |
Aviation | $252,430 per year |
Medical | $239,360 per year |
Nursing | $149,200 per year |
Computer Science | $148,680 per year |
There’s no guarantee that you will earn a particular salary just because you have a certain degree. You might earn a lot more or a lot less than what’s listed in the table above depending on where you work, when you graduate, etc.
That being said, if your top priority is to earn a high salary after leaving school, you’ll likely bring in more money if you have a degree than if you don’t. That’s especially true if you earn one of the degrees mentioned above.
Final Thoughts on the Highest-Paying Jobs in San Francisco
Do you want to land one of the highest-paying jobs in San Francisco? Now that you know what they are, do you have an idea of the kind of training or degree you need to qualify for them?
Keep this information in mind so you can plan for the future and start upskilling to increase your chances of getting hired at one of San Francisco’s top-paying companies.
If you need help finding these companies or finding open positions in this area, use GrabJobs. Our free search tool lets you narrow down your options based on lots of criteria, including job type, salary, and education requirements.
