AI Healthcare Data Engineer.
San Francisco.
$191,000
median salary, 36% above the national average
$143,000 to $243,000. Last updated April 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
San Francisco is 35% more expensive than the national average. For AI Healthcare Data Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $191,000, with the full range spanning $143,000 to $243,000. Compensation reflects the specialized knowledge needed to work with healthcare data formats (HL7, FHIR, DICOM) and privacy regulations (HIPAA, HITECH). Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $172,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$124,000
to $153,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$162,000
to $201,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$210,000
to $248,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$239,000
to $296,000
Salary trend
+9% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $82,000 to the total package.
Base
$191,000
Equity
$50,000
Bonus
$21,000
Signing
$11,000
Estimated total: $273,000
How San Francisco compares
San Francisco, CA
$191,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$140,000
San Francisco is $51,000 above
AI Healthcare Data Engineer salary by city
Salary by role in San Francisco
What you should know
Here is what the AI Healthcare Data Engineer market actually looks like in San Francisco. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. The city's concentration of AI labs, SaaS companies, and fintech firms creates intense competition for talent. Despite remote work trends, SF still commands the steepest salary premiums for engineering and product roles. Compensation reflects the specialized knowledge needed to work with healthcare data formats (HL7, FHIR, DICOM) and privacy regulations (HIPAA, HITECH). Engineers who can build compliant data pipelines that prepare clinical data for ML model training earn premiums. Experience with de-identification, data harmonization across health systems, and real-world evidence generation is highly valued.
Junior healthcare data engineers start at $90,000 to $110,000. Mid-level engineers building HIPAA-compliant ML data pipelines reach $130,000 to $158,000. Senior engineers designing enterprise health data platforms earn $165,000 to $200,000. Directors of health data engineering can reach $220,000 to $280,000 in total compensation. In San Francisco, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 35% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at health AI companies adds $15,000 to $60,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 18% are standard. Benefits often include comprehensive health coverage, continuing education stipends, and student loan repayment assistance. Some health systems offer pension benefits. And on the tax side: california's top marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep. When someone quotes you $191,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here. The range for AI Healthcare Data Engineers in San Francisco runs from $143,000 to $243,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Attorney / Lawyer in San Francisco earns $190,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in San Francisco is Distinguished Engineer at $450,000
Common questions.
AI Healthcare Data Engineer salary in other cities
Other salaries in San Francisco
Related
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget — one script tag, free forever.