Creative salary in San Francisco
Employer-stated pay · updated Oct 23, 2026
Creative pay in San Francisco is measured from 69 postings where the employer stated pay. The best-evidenced figure is lead, where 28 postings put the middle half between $178,750 and $266,000, with a median of $220,000.
Pay rises with seniority here: the medians run entry-level $130,000, mid-level $155,400, senior $178,500 and lead $220,000. Moving from entry-level to lead is worth roughly 69% more.
Against the 14 other measured markets for creative at lead, this sits highest; Redmond leads at $219,000.
2 creative roles are open in San Francisco right now, 2 listing pay.
| Level | Market range | Median | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | $82,000 – $160,000 | $130,000 | 19 |
| Mid | $105,000 – $168,500 | $155,400 | 11 |
| Senior | $161,750 – $199,225 | $178,500 | 11 |
| Lead | $178,750 – $266,000 | $220,000 | 28 |
Entry is junior titles. Mid is mid-level and manager titles. Senior is senior titles. Lead is director, VP and above.
Ranges span the 25th to 75th percentile of employer-stated base pay for the level. Median is the 50th percentile. Sample is the number of postings measured.
