Frontend Engineer Salary San Francisco 2026: What You Actually Earn at FAANG, Unicorns & Startups
Senior base $170K–$210K, total comp $250K–$330K+ — but California taxes and $4K/month rent change the math
# Frontend Engineer Salary San Francisco 2026
San Francisco remains the benchmark for frontend engineering compensation in 2026. With FAANG offices, a dense cluster of VC-backed unicorns, and a culture of equity-heavy packages, total compensation for experienced frontend engineers frequently exceeds $300,000 per year. But base salary is only part of the picture — RSU vesting schedules, annual equity refreshes, California's 13.3% top tax rate, and $4,000+/month rent shape what you actually keep.
This guide breaks down what SF frontend engineers earn at every level, which employers pay the most, and how the Bay Area compares to NYC, Seattle, and fully remote roles.
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San Francisco Frontend Engineer Salary by Level (2026)
| Level | Base Salary | RSU (Annual Value) | Bonus | Total Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior (0–2 yrs) | $120K–$150K | $20K–$40K | $10K–$18K | $150K–$208K |
| Mid-Level (2–5 yrs) | $150K–$185K | $40K–$80K | $18K–$28K | $208K–$293K |
| Senior (5–8 yrs) | $170K–$210K | $80K–$140K | $25K–$42K | $275K–$392K |
| Staff+ (8+ yrs) | $210K–$260K | $140K–$250K | $42K–$65K | $392K–$575K |
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Top SF Employers for Frontend Engineers
San Francisco's employer landscape is unmatched in density and pay competitiveness:
For a broader view of the SF market across all engineering roles, see Tech Salaries San Francisco 2026.
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Stack Premium: Which Skills Add the Most to Your Salary
Not all frontend skills are valued equally in San Francisco's market. Companies building complex, high-traffic products pay a meaningful premium for engineers who have shipped production systems at scale.
| Skill / Stack | Premium vs. Baseline JS | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| React + TypeScript | +$15K–$25K | Table stakes at FAANG and most unicorns |
| Next.js (SSR/SSG) | +$10K–$15K | High demand at SEO-sensitive product companies |
| GraphQL | +$8K–$12K | Apollo/Relay experience valued at API-first companies |
| React Native | +$12K–$20K | Mobile crossover engineers are scarce; premium is real |
| Web Performance / Core Web Vitals | +$8K–$15K | Valued at e-commerce, marketplace, and media companies |
| Design Systems / Component Libraries | +$5K–$10K | Platform team premium at companies like Airbnb and Figma |
Engineers with React, TypeScript, and Next.js on production-scale projects routinely land at the top of the Mid-to-Senior base range.
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SF vs. NYC vs. Seattle vs. Remote: Where Does Your Money Go Further?
| Market | Senior Base | Total Comp | State Income Tax | Avg. 1BR Rent | Adjusted Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $170K–$210K | $275K–$392K | 9.3%–13.3% | $3,800–$4,500/mo | Moderate |
| New York City | $155K–$195K | $245K–$350K | 6.85%–10.9% | $3,200–$4,200/mo | Moderate |
| Seattle | $155K–$190K | $230K–$320K | 0% | $2,200–$2,800/mo | High |
| Remote (US) | $130K–$175K | $160K–$260K | Varies | Varies | Highest (lower COL) |
Seattle's no-income-tax advantage is real: a $175K Seattle base is worth roughly the same after-tax as $195K in San Francisco. For more on Seattle's frontend market and remote compensation structures, see our dedicated guides.
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Bay Area Total Comp: Base, RSU, Bonus, and Equity Refreshes
San Francisco compensation packages have a structure that's important to understand before you compare offers:
Base Salary covers your guaranteed cash. At FAANG this is typically not the biggest component — companies deliberately keep base below $230K in many cases to manage payroll tax. RSU (Restricted Stock Units) are the core of FAANG comp. A typical senior Google offer might include $400K in RSUs vesting over 4 years (1-year cliff, then monthly) — that's $100K/year on top of base before any appreciation. Annual Bonus at large tech companies runs 10–20% of base. Unlike finance, this is not the primary variable comp lever; it supplements RSUs. Equity Refreshes are where long-tenured engineers at FAANG build serious wealth. Meta's review system, for example, issues refresher grants to strong performers — sometimes exceeding the original hire grant by year 3–4. This makes staying at a company competitive with the joining-bonus bump of switching. Stock Appreciation cuts both ways. Engineers who joined Meta, Google, or Stripe during 2020–2021 and held their RSUs saw dramatic swings. Always model your total comp at current stock price, not the grant-date price.---
Cost of Living Reality Check
San Francisco's compensation premium is real — but so is the cost:
This math does not mean San Francisco is a bad choice — at $300K+ total comp, the absolute dollar advantage is still strong. It means the base salary headline understates the gap between an SF offer and a Seattle or remote offer.
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How to Maximize Your SF Compensation
Negotiate the equity, not just the base. At FAANG, the offer letter base is often near-fixed. The real negotiation is on RSU grant size, cliff timing, and refresh schedule. Target mid-stage startups at inflection points. Series B/C companies building with React, TypeScript, and Next.js at scale often pay $175K–$190K base with equity that can outperform FAANG RSUs if the company IPOs or is acquired. Use competing offers. Google, Meta, and Stripe all have structured offer matching processes. A competing offer from one FAANG is the strongest lever at another. Get clarity on refresh cadence. Ask specifically: "What is the typical RSU refresh grant for an engineer at this level after year 1?" Companies that answer clearly are ones that use refreshes competitively. Companies that deflect are often not planning to refresh.---
Related Frontend Salary Guides
San Francisco in 2026 remains the highest-paying market for frontend engineers in absolute dollar terms. The combination of FAANG anchor salaries, a dense unicorn ecosystem, and genuine stack premiums for React/TypeScript/Next.js expertise means engineers with 5+ years of production experience can realistically target $280K–$350K+ total comp. The cost of living is real — but so is the compensation ceiling.
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