Project Manager pay in San Francisco, by the numbers
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$9,500; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$135,000.
San Francisco vs the national and CA picture
San Jose leads at US$135,120, 0% above San Francisco, while San Antonio sits at US$92,130. The neighbours in the ranking are San Jose and Seattle.
CA has 4 metros with observed figures for this role. Their average is US$124,000, and San Francisco comes 2nd, +9% against it; elsewhere in the state: Los Angeles (US$108,310), San Diego (US$117,460) and San Jose (US$135,120).
What the San Francisco median is worth after tax and rent
Living costs are close to the baseline (COL index 100), so the median's buying power, about US$135,000, is near its face value.
Cash rank and buying-power rank match for San Francisco: 2nd of 21.
Run the median through our simplified tax model (16% effective) and about US$9,500 lands each month. Budget US$1,650 for a modeled 1-bedroom — 17% of pay — and other modeled costs, and roughly US$5,990 remains.
Other CA options for project managers
Los Angeles (also in CA) pays US$108,310, 20% less than San Francisco; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,710 lower.
A project manager moving from San Francisco to San Diego (also in CA) would see the median fall 13% to US$117,460, with US$1,120 less left over monthly in our model.
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$126,660 (-6% vs San Francisco), and the modeled budget leaves US$530 less each month.
Where Project Manager ranks among San Francisco jobs
Of the 9 roles we track in San Francisco, Project Manager is 7th by median; the highest is Lawyer (US$212,500).
Closest neighbours in the San Francisco list: Frontend Developer at US$152,450 (+13%) and Financial Analyst at US$130,520 (-3%).
Entry-level vs senior project manager pay in San Francisco
Entry-level project managers fare better here (2nd of 21 at the 10th percentile, US$79,990) than senior ones (3rd at the 90th, US$206,240).
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$212,340 at the 90th percentile, +3% against San Francisco.
The project manager pay range in San Francisco
The 90th percentile (US$206,240) is 2.6× the 10th (US$79,990), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.