San Francisco · Occupational wage benchmark
Sales Managers Salary in San Francisco
What Sales Managers actually earn in the San Francisco metro area — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against other major metros.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA metro estimates for SOC 11-2022; cost-of-living adjustment 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.
- Median annual wage
- $170,810
- Sales Managers in San Francisco
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $147,743
- San Francisco price level 115.6 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among metros
- #7 of 47
- #22 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 17,770
- in metro San Francisco
What Sales Managers earn in San Francisco, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, San Francisco drops 15 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
| Metro | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $215,150 | $191,137 |
| Boston | $206,610 | $190,836 |
| San Jose | $201,780 | $182,734 |
| Seattle | $184,320 | $165,855 |
| Denver | $181,580 | $171,655 |
| Washington DC | $175,820 | $161,475 |
| San Francisco | $170,810 | $147,743 |
| Richmond | $168,590 | $172,280 |
| Atlanta | $166,920 | $166,823 |
| Raleigh | $163,520 | $166,590 |
| Buffalo | $163,090 | $170,162 |
| Portland | $162,640 | $154,277 |
| Charlotte | $162,000 | $166,413 |
| Hartford | $161,410 | $157,096 |
| Virginia Beach | $158,750 | $162,087 |
| Chicago | $158,690 | $153,183 |
| Minneapolis | $158,100 | $150,827 |
| Philadelphia | $156,500 | $152,603 |
| Detroit | $155,560 | $155,098 |
| Austin | $151,760 | $154,753 |
Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (metro RPP ÷ 100) using BEA MARPP 2024 regional price parities.
The national pay range for Sales Managers
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. The spread within the occupation is usually far wider than the gap between metros.
| Percentile (national) | Annual wage | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,170 | Entry / early-career end |
| 25th percentile | $100,360 | |
| Median (50th) | $148,270 | |
| 75th percentile | $207,340 | |
| 90th percentile | $290,540 | Senior / top-market end |
Other MBA-relevant roles in San Francisco
How to read the San Francisco number
The $170,810 median means half of Sales Managers in the San Francisco area earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every experience level, industry, and level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 17,770 people in this role in the San Francisco area. To compare against the state and national picture, see Sales Managers nationally or model your own economics with the MBA ROI calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Sales Managers make in San Francisco?
Sales Managers in the San Francisco metro area earn a median of $170,810 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +15.2% vs national, ranking San Francisco #7 of 47 major metros we track for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark across all workers in the metro, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $170,810 a good salary in San Francisco?
It depends on local prices. The San Francisco area price level is 115.6 against a U.S. average of 100, so $170,810 there carries roughly the purchasing power of $147,743 nationally — about $23,067 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, San Francisco drops 15 places — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
Do Sales Managers in San Francisco need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot isolate what an MBA adds. Sales Managers is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any precise MBA premium for this role in San Francisco would not be supported by this data.
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