Ranking the Top 10 High-Paying Tech Jobs in San Francisco

In 2025, San Francisco continues to dominate the tech scene, with 49% of all big tech engineers choosing to work here.

The city's tech salaries are incredible - they're running 30.6% above the national average, making it the highest-paying tech city in the country. The Bay Area added over 75,000 tech jobs in just five years, showing massive growth.

Software developers are making around $185,425 on average - that's way more than other tech hubs like Seattle or Boston. The culture of innovation here is unmatched, with endless opportunities to connect with industry leaders and game-changing startups.

Companies aren't just offering fat paychecks; they're throwing in equity packages, health benefits, and flexible work arrangements. Whether you're into AI, blockchain, or cloud computing, San Francisco's tech scene is where innovation meets opportunity.

The competition is fierce, but the rewards are totally worth it. If you're dreaming of a tech career with serious earning potential, SF is where it's at.

In ranking tech jobs in San Francisco, our methodology focuses on three main factors: salary potential, market demand, and career growth opportunities. According to recent salary data, tech professionals with AI and machine learning skills are seeing significant pay increases, with 44% of tech leaders boosting starting salaries specifically for these roles.

The data shows impressive ranges, with Systems Security Managers earning between $137,250 and $198,500 annually, while Software Engineers command $108,500 to $152,500.

Looking at demand, current market analysis reveals that IT Manager positions are expected to create 86,000 new jobs by 2032, while Data Scientists are projected to see a 35% growth rate, adding 59,400 new positions.

Cloud computing and cybersecurity roles consistently top the charts, with companies actively competing for talent in these areas.

When it comes to growth potential, industry forecasts highlight emerging fields like AI ethics and cloud security as major growth areas.

For real success in tech, it's crucial to look at both immediate opportunities and long-term career paths. The data shows that professionals with 3-5 years of experience who focus on in-demand skills like cloud architecture, cybersecurity, and AI development typically see the fastest career advancement.

This comprehensive approach to ranking helps tech professionals like Barbara Moore make informed decisions about which skills to develop and which career paths to pursue.

Looking for a seriously rewarding tech career? Figma's compensation packages are turning heads in 2025, with entry-level software engineers starting at $216K total compensation, including a $147K base salary plus stock options and bonuses.

The compensation structure gets even better as you progress, reaching up to $687K for senior positions. Figma's workplace culture stands out with their "Maker Week" events and emphasis on community building, making it a perfect spot for fresh grads who want to grow while making cool stuff.

The company offers solid benefits like competitive equity, health coverage, and even a work-from-home stipend.

As a software engineer at Figma, you'll get to:

• Code optimization: Build and optimize code for their collaborative design platform
• Cutting-edge technology: Work with cutting-edge AI and ML technology
• Designer collaboration: Collaborate with designers on new features
• Valuing creativity: Join a team that values creativity and innovation

Want to boost your chances of landing a role here? Focus on mastering JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python.

AI and ML skills are becoming increasingly important at Figma, especially for their newer products.

The company's stock options follow a 4-year vesting schedule, with 25% vesting each year, making it worth sticking around. With offices in San Francisco, New York, and other major tech hubs, plus remote work options in the US and Canada, Figma offers the flexibility that today's tech professionals want.

Let me break down what it's really like to work as a software engineer at Roblox in San Francisco. The compensation is seriously impressive - entry-level engineers start at $224K total compensation, including a $150K base salary plus stock options and bonuses.

What's even cooler is that as you level up, the money gets better. According to recent salary data from Blind, senior engineers can make between $400K to $625K at the higher percentiles.

The stock options follow either a 3-year or 4-year vesting schedule, with quarterly or monthly distributions depending on your package. The best part? top performers can reach compensation packages of $1.2M at the highest levels.

Beyond the money, Roblox engineers work on real-time gaming technology, creating systems that handle millions of concurrent users. The tech stack includes Lua for game development, but you'll also work with modern cloud architecture and distributed systems.

They're big on collaboration and constantly pushing technical boundaries. If you're looking to level up your career while working on technology that impacts millions of users daily, Roblox is definitely worth considering.

Just make sure you're solid in your programming fundamentals and ready to learn fast - this platform is constantly evolving.

Breaking down why Databricks is literally crushing it in the San Francisco tech scene right now. According to recent salary data, entry-level software engineers (L3) start at an impressive $231K total compensation, while those reaching L7 can earn up to $1.14M annually.

The compensation package is seriously stacked, including base salary, stock options, and performance bonuses. The latest H1B data shows that even international engineers are getting competitive offers, with most positions in San Francisco ranging between $150K to $200K base salary.

What's really cool is their stock vesting schedule - you get 25% of your RSUs each year, with monthly distributions starting in year two. For engineers in the San Francisco Bay Area, the compensation is even higher than the company average, with Senior Engineers (L5) pulling in around $599K total comp.

The growth potential here is real - you can start as an entry-level engineer and work your way up through clearly defined levels, each with significant bumps in compensation.

Besides the money, Databricks keeps things interesting with regular hackathons and innovation challenges, plus they're big on promoting from within. Their commitment to diversity isn't just talk either - they're actively working to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

If you're looking to make serious money while working on cutting-edge tech, Databricks is definitely worth checking out.

LinkedIn is one of the most attractive employers for software engineers in San Francisco right now. Let me break down why - senior software engineers can earn up to $194,316 annually, including a base salary of $155,166 plus bonuses around $39,150.

Even entry-level positions are competitive, with apprentice engineers starting at $134K and the potential to grow to $1M for principal engineers.

The compensation structure includes base pay, annual bonuses, and stock grants that increase significantly with experience.

The work environment is just as impressive as the pay.

Engineers tackle challenging projects like improving the platform's job-matching algorithms and developing AI-powered content recommendations. Daily responsibilities include designing automation tools, building frameworks, and working on deployment systems that impact millions of users.

What really stands out is the focus on professional growth - LinkedIn offers tuition reimbursement up to $5,000 and unlimited PTO, plus they'll match your charitable donations up to $15,000.

Beyond the core engineering work, there's a strong emphasis on collaboration across teams.

Engineers regularly partner with product managers and data scientists to launch new features. The company culture prioritizes innovation and learning, with opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects using the latest tech stack.

Whether you're fresh out of school or have years of experience, LinkedIn provides clear career progression paths and the chance to work on projects that genuinely impact how professionals connect worldwide.

Working as a software engineer at Plaid means being part of something huge in the fintech world. Let me break down why this is such a cool opportunity: compensation at Plaid is seriously impressive, ranging from $215K for entry-level (E3) to $978K for senior roles (E7), with a median of $500K annually.

But it's not just about the money - Plaid offers amazing growth opportunities through learning stipends, training programs, and their internal hackathon called Plaiderdays.

For those just starting out, internship positions pay around $56/hour with additional perks like relocation assistance and housing stipends.

Engineers here work on critical projects that connect financial apps with bank accounts, basically building the backbone of modern financial tech. The company culture is built around continuous learning and innovation, with regular team events and community groups that make it feel less like a job and more like being part of a movement.

Software engineers take on meaningful responsibilities including API development, maintaining security standards, and improving data processing capabilities. What makes this role particularly exciting is that you're not just writing code - you're actively shaping how people interact with their money in the digital age.

With Plaid's strong position in fintech and commitment to employee development, it's clear why so many engineers are eager to join their team.

Setting the record straight about Site Reliability Engineer salaries at Google in San Francisco - they're way higher than previously reported.

Entry-level SREs (L3) start at $201K, and experienced L6 engineers can make up to $540K annually. The compensation package includes base salary, stock options, and performance bonuses.

According to recent industry data, the role demands skills in Google Cloud Platform (+23% salary boost), Go programming language, and Kubernetes.

These skills are literally gold in today's market. The average total compensation for SREs in San Francisco hits around $203K, making it one of tech's most rewarding career paths.

Being a Data Architect at Pinterest in 2025 is seriously amazing - not just for the killer salary but for the chance to work on game-changing projects. According to recent salary data, Pinterest's compensation packages can reach up to $540k for senior technical roles, with Data Architects typically earning between $200k-$411k annually, depending on experience and level.

The role involves creating data systems that power Pinterest's massive visual discovery platform, which serves over 440 million monthly users sharing billions of ideas.

What makes this role even better is that Pinterest offers a flexible work model called PinFlex, letting you choose between remote and office work.

The company culture is built around five core values, including "Aim for Extraordinary" and "Create Belonging," which totally matches what our generation looks for in a workplace.

Real talk - as a Data Architect here, you're not just pushing data around; you're helping build systems that inspire millions of people to create things they love.

The compensation is competitive too, with H1B salary data showing that technical roles at Pinterest consistently rank among the top-paying positions in San Francisco.

Plus, they offer awesome perks like comprehensive health benefits, retirement plans, and professional development resources. If you're thinking about becoming a Data Architect, this is definitely a career path worth considering - it's challenging, rewarding, and lets you make a real impact while earning serious money.

Working at Uber's innovative tech ecosystem is seriously exciting for Technical Product Managers.

The compensation is pretty amazing - TPMs can earn between $153,000 to an incredible $1.14 million annually, depending on their level and experience. The base salary starts around $125K for Associate PMs and can reach $199K for Senior PMs, with additional stock options and bonuses making the total package even sweeter.

TPMs get to work with cutting-edge tech, including Uber's GenAI Gateway which powers over 60 different AI applications across the company.

The role involves leading development teams using a complex tech stack that includes React, Node.js, Python, and Apache Kafka for real-time data processing.

What's really cool is that TPMs get to shape how millions of people move around cities every day, working on everything from ride-matching algorithms to new features in the driver and rider apps.

The job definitely isn't easy - you need strong technical skills plus the ability to make smart decisions about product direction. But the opportunities for growth are massive, especially since Uber keeps expanding into new areas like food delivery, freight, and future transport concepts.

For anyone looking to make a real impact while working with the latest technology, being a TPM at Uber is one of the most rewarding roles in tech right now. The combination of competitive pay, cutting-edge projects, and the chance to solve real-world problems makes this position super attractive for tech professionals in San Francisco.

Working at Databricks in 2025 is seriously next level, especially when you look at their compensation packages. According to recent salary data, software engineers at Databricks earn between $231K to a mind-blowing $1.14M per year, depending on their level.

Senior engineers, typically at L5, can pull in around $589K total compensation, with base salary hitting $204K plus serious stock options and bonuses. The company's generous stock vesting schedule spreads across four years, making it worth sticking around.

Beyond the money, Databricks offers amazing opportunities in cutting-edge tech, especially in data, analytics, and AI.

What's really interesting is how they're always pushing boundaries in the tech space.

The data engineering field is particularly hot right now, with senior roles commanding premium salaries across the industry.

At Databricks, you're not just coding - you're working on stuff that actually shapes how companies handle massive amounts of data. The culture is intense but in a good way, with lots of smart people working on challenging problems.

Competition for these positions is fierce, but if you've got the skills in cloud platforms, distributed systems, and can show you know your way around big data technologies, you've got a shot at joining one of tech's most innovative companies.

San Francisco's tech scene in 2025 is absolutely crushing it with amazing opportunities and mind-blowing salaries. Top companies like OpenAI and Meta are offering senior engineers compensation packages that can hit $1 million+, while entry-level positions at firms like Databricks start around $230,500.

The competition for talent is seriously intense, especially in AI and machine learning, where AI Engineers can earn between $156,648 - $200,000.

The industry keeps evolving - you've got to stay on your toes and keep learning new skills.

• Learning new skills is crucial: The most successful tech professionals are diving into cloud architecture, DevOps, and data engineering, with salaries ranging from $168,418 to $232,602 for these roles.
• Bay Area innovation: The Bay Area tech scene isn't just about the money though - it's about being part of something bigger, where innovation happens daily and you're surrounded by some of the smartest people in tech.
• Career growth opportunities: If you're ready to put in the work and constantly level up your skills, San Francisco's tech market is literally the perfect place to build an amazing career. The opportunities are endless, whether you're into AI, cloud computing, or full-stack development - just pick your path and go for it!