Salary by metro
MBA-Relevant Salaries in San Francisco
What the roles MBAs target actually pay in the San Francisco metro area — source-labeled BLS wage benchmarks, adjusted for what it costs to live there.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA; cost-of-living from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MARPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Roles benchmarked
- 20
- MBA-relevant occupations
- Median wage span
- $101,040–$288,690
- across roles
- Highest median
- $288,690
- Chief Executives
- Cost of living
- 115.6
- price level (U.S. = 100)
What MBA-relevant roles pay in San Francisco
Median wage and cost-of-living-adjusted value for each occupation. Open a role for its full percentile range and metro ranking.
| Role (occupation) | Median annual | Cost-of-living adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives SOC 11-1011 | $288,690 | $249,704 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers SOC 11-3021 | $232,890 | $201,439 |
| Marketing Managers SOC 11-2021 | $220,480 | $190,705 |
| Financial Managers SOC 11-3031 | $216,150 | $186,960 |
| Human Resources Managers SOC 11-3121 | $209,340 | $181,070 |
| Sales Managers SOC 11-2022 | $170,810 | $147,743 |
| Data Scientists SOC 15-2051 | $170,110 | $147,137 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers SOC 11-9111 | $166,310 | $143,851 |
| Industrial Production Managers SOC 11-3051 | $164,420 | $142,216 |
| Personal Financial Advisors SOC 13-2052 | $160,610 | $138,920 |
| General and Operations Managers SOC 11-1021 | $149,990 | $129,735 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers SOC 11-3071 | $145,170 | $125,565 |
| Project Management Specialists SOC 13-1082 | $135,040 | $116,803 |
| Financial and Investment Analysts SOC 13-2051 | $130,520 | $112,894 |
| Management Analysts SOC 13-1111 | $126,730 | $109,616 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists SOC 13-1161 | $123,250 | $106,606 |
| Budget Analysts SOC 13-2031 | $117,360 | $101,511 |
| Accountants and Auditors SOC 13-2011 | $110,730 | $95,776 |
| Operations Research Analysts SOC 15-2031 | $110,560 | $95,629 |
| Logisticians SOC 13-1081 | $101,040 | $87,395 |
Compare other metros
Cost of living and San Francisco pay
Nominal wages in the San Francisco area reflect its industry mix and cost of living. A higher headline number in an expensive metro does not automatically mean a better financial outcome — housing and everyday costs claim more of it. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure so you can compare purchasing power, not just headline pay.
Frequently asked questions
What do MBA-relevant roles pay in San Francisco?
Across the 20 MBA-relevant occupations benchmarked for the San Francisco metro area, median annual wages span roughly $101,040 to $288,690. These are BLS OEWS occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-graduate-specific outcomes. The highest-median role here is Chief Executives at $288,690.
Is San Francisco an expensive place to earn these salaries?
The San Francisco area overall price level is 115.6 against a U.S. average of 100 — above average, so nominal wages there buy less than the headline suggests. Each role page shows the cost-of-living-adjusted figure.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.