Environmental Engineer Salary in San Francisco, CA
Environmental Engineers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $138,840 a year — 30% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $95,676 take-home, or $7,973 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median environmental engineer salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$22,056
- Social Security (6.2%)$8,608
- Medicare (1.45%)$2,013
- California income tax$8,683
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,805
- Take-home pay$95,676
Marginal rate: 24% federal + 9.30% state
Environmental Engineer pay by experience in San Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $77,050 | $37.04 | $59,081 | $4,923 |
| 25th percentile | $108,040 | $51.94 | $77,613 | $6,468 |
| Median (50th) | $138,840 | $66.75 | $95,676 | $7,973 |
| 75th percentile | $161,800 | $77.79 | $108,935 | $9,078 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $176,660 | $84.93 | $117,517 | $9,793 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $138,840 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median environmental engineer's $95,676 take-home pay has the buying power of $82,755 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Environmental Engineer jobs are about as common in San Francisco, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.94).
Best-paying cities for environmental engineers, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #6 of 18 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, TX | $127,340 | $98,303 | $99,669 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $129,390 | $95,732 | $93,348 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $128,410 | $99,034 | $89,113 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $133,240 | $92,442 | $86,661 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $127,080 | $87,835 | $83,319 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $138,840 | $95,676 | $82,755 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $115,750 | $83,913 | $80,052 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $120,580 | $86,377 | $79,330 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 18 metros →
Environmental Engineer salaries elsewhere in California
- Sacramento, CA — $133,240
- Los Angeles, CA — $127,900
- San Diego, CA — $119,390
Frequently asked questions
How much does a environmental engineer make in San Francisco, CA?
The median environmental engineer salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $138,840 a year, or about $66.75 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $108,040 and $161,800.
What is a environmental engineer’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $138,840 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $95,676 a year ($7,973 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $10,487 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a environmental engineer?
Pay here is 30% above the national median of $107,110. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $82,755 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #6 of 18 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a environmental engineer afford rent in San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 33% of a median environmental engineer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Francisco, CA
- Computer Hardware Engineer — $203,890
- Aerospace Engineer — $191,260
- Electrical Engineer — $166,030
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer — $162,440
- Mechanical Engineer — $161,370
- Engineers, All Other — $159,800
- Bioengineer and Biomedical Engineer — $140,660
- Industrial Engineer — $132,230
- Civil Engineer — $130,160
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval — $126,550
- Surveyor — $125,060
- Landscape Architect — $119,730