Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$123,280
To
$166,790
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$216,150
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$166,790
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$314,940
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$244,930
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for CFO in San Francisco
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$216,150
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$166,790
To
$314,940
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$314,940
To
$356,070
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare cfo offers in San Francisco against $123,280 to $166,790.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare cfo offers in San Francisco against $166,790 to $314,940.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare cfo offers in San Francisco against $314,940 to $356,070.
How San Francisco Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
San Francisco is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Financial Managers, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$250,570
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$244,930
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$221,800
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$214,610
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$205,640
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$205,010
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$204,650
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$191,690
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$191,110
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$187,310
How CFO Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares cfo pay in San Francisco with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$252,720
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$252,720
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$252,720
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$249,040
CTO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$249,040
Engineering Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$249,040
IT Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$249,040
VP of Engineering
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$249,040
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$244,930
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$244,930
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for cfos in San Francisco is $216,150. The middle market range runs from $166,790 at the 25th percentile to $314,940 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $123,280to $356,070.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $123,280 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $166,790 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $216,150 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $314,940 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $356,070 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps CFO to BLS occupation Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031, as the public wage source for CFO.
- BLS area
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Employment estimate
- 17,040
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median cfo salary in San Francisco?
The median annual salary for cfos in San Francisco is $216,150, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Financial Managers.
How much can fresher cfo candidates expect in San Francisco?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For cfos in San Francisco, that range is $123,280 to $166,790. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate cfo salary range in San Francisco?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For cfos in San Francisco, that range is $166,790 to $314,940.
What do senior cfo candidates earn in San Francisco?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For cfos in San Francisco, that range is $314,940 to $356,070.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Financial Managers instead of only CFO?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps CFO to Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does San Francisco mean city limits or a metro area?
San Francisco is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 25 May 2026|Last updated: 24 Jun 2026
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