Level 4 wages deliver 62% lottery selection odds — the highest tier. These San Francisco employers consistently file senior engineering roles at top prevailing wages.
San Francisco is the undisputed capital of Level 4 H-1B filings. The combination of the highest cost-of-living MSA in the country and intense competition for senior engineering talent means that most senior and staff engineer roles at SF-based tech companies naturally land at Level 4 prevailing wages ($200,000+). Under the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery, this translates to a 62% selection rate — four times better than Level 1 (15%). If you are a senior engineer targeting the Bay Area, the odds are strongly in your favor.
Quick Answer: Senior software engineers in San Francisco earn $200K-$350K+ base salary, which almost always qualifies as Level 4 under OEWS prevailing wage data. At Level 4, your FY2027 lottery odds are 62% — the highest possible tier. Google, Meta, Stripe, Airbnb, Salesforce, and Uber are among the top sponsors filing at this level.
| Company | Total H-1B Filings | Level 4 Filing % | Senior Eng Base Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33,416 | 68% | $220,000 - $350,000 | |
| Meta | 14,900 | 72% | $210,000 - $340,000 |
| Stripe | ~1,800 | 82% | $200,000 - $320,000 |
| Airbnb | ~1,200 | 78% | $195,000 - $310,000 |
| Salesforce | ~3,500 | 65% | $190,000 - $280,000 |
| Uber | ~2,800 | 70% | $195,000 - $300,000 |
| Coinbase | ~600 | 85% | $200,000 - $310,000 |
| Block (Square) | ~900 | 75% | $185,000 - $280,000 |
San Francisco consistently produces the highest share of Level 4 H-1B filings of any metro area in the country. The reason is structural: the SF-Oakland-Hayward MSA has the highest prevailing wages for software developers nationally, and the OEWS Level 4 threshold (67th percentile) for Software Developers sits around $200,000. Most senior engineers at established tech companies exceed this easily, with total compensation packages (base + equity + bonus) often reaching $400K-$700K at the senior/staff level.
The wage-weighted lottery has made San Francisco an even more attractive target for H-1B candidates. At 62% selection odds, a Level 4 filer has roughly a 3-in-5 chance of being selected — compared to roughly 1-in-6 at Level 1. For senior engineers already commanding these salaries, the wage-weighted system is a significant tailwind. Companies like Stripe and Coinbase file over 80% of their engineering petitions at Level 4, reflecting both their compensation philosophy and the SF wage environment.
One important consideration: the $100K fee for consular processing applies to many large SF employers with 50+ employees and a high H-1B workforce percentage. However, F-1 OPT candidates filing for change of status are exempt from this fee. If you are currently in the U.S. on OPT, this exemption makes SF-based employers even more cost-effective for your H-1B petition. Additionally, premium processing at $2,805 is standard practice at most SF tech companies, meaning you will typically get a decision within 15 business days of filing.
Search verified H-1B filing data for senior engineering roles in the Bay Area.
Search Senior Engineer Sponsors in SF →Search thousands of verified H-1B sponsors by company, industry, and location.
Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →Not automatically, but in practice most do. The OEWS Level 4 threshold for Software Developers in the SF-Oakland MSA is approximately $200,000. Most senior engineers at established tech companies earn well above this in base salary alone. However, the wage level is determined by the LCA prevailing wage for the specific SOC code and MSA — your employer's immigration attorney will confirm the exact level based on your offered salary.
The $100K fee applies to employers with 50+ employees where more than 50% of the workforce holds H-1B or L-1 status. Most large SF tech companies (Google, Meta, Apple, etc.) do NOT meet the 50% H-1B threshold despite having many H-1B workers — their total employee count is too large. IT consulting firms are more likely to trigger this fee. Additionally, if you are filing for change of status from F-1 OPT, you are exempt from the fee regardless of employer.
Level 4 odds are the same regardless of location — the 62% applies nationwide. What SF offers is that most senior roles naturally land at Level 4 due to the high cost of living. But a senior engineer earning $200K+ in Austin, Denver, or even a remote role with a worksite in a lower-cost MSA could also be Level 4 if the salary exceeds the local 67th percentile. The strategy is to maximize your wage level relative to the MSA, not necessarily to be in SF.
The LCA prevailing wage is based on the worksite location, not the employer's HQ. If you work remotely from Austin for a SF-based company, your prevailing wage is determined by the Austin MSA. This can actually help or hurt: $180K might be Level 3 in SF but Level 4 in Austin. Your employer must list the actual worksite on the LCA. Working remotely from a lower-cost MSA while earning a competitive salary can sometimes push you into a higher wage level.