How Much Does an MLT Make in San Francisco, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for MLTs in San Francisco, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area
A typical MLT in San Francisco, California earns $40.45 per hour, or $84,130 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,011 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $55,570, and the top 10% of earners make over $133,660.
That pay is 11% above the California figure of $76,010 and 34% above the national figure of $62,930. San Francisco ranks 4th of 22 metro areas in California for MLT pay. About 5,210 MLTs work in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area. San Francisco is part of the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Oakland and Fremont share these figures.
MLT pay in San Francisco at a glance
- Typical pay is $40.45 an hour, or $84,130 a year.
- That is 11% above the California figure, ranking 4th of 22 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $55,570; the top 10% make over $133,660.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an MLT make in San Francisco?
Pay in San Francisco runs from entry-level positions at around $26.72 an hour to more than $64.26 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
MLT pay by career stage in San Francisco
| Career stage | San Francisco | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $55,570$26.72 an hour | $47,580$22.88 an hour | $38,910$18.71 an hour |
| First years | $67,810$32.60 an hour | $56,700$27.26 an hour | $47,650$22.91 an hour |
| Typical MLT | $84,130$40.45 an hour | $76,010$36.54 an hour | $62,930$30.26 an hour |
| Experienced | $96,820$46.55 an hour | $89,480$43.02 an hour | $81,450$39.16 an hour |
| Top 10% | $133,660$64.26 an hour | $126,870$60.99 an hour | $100,990$48.55 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area as BLS defines it
MLT pay growth in San Francisco
Typical (median) annual wage for MLTs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area · BLS OES May estimates, 2017 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2017, typical MLT pay in San Francisco was $57,440 a year. By 2025 it had reached $84,130.
How San Francisco compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays MLTs the most in California at $86,250 a year, $2,120 more than San Francisco. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $51,500.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Francisco | MLTs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $86,250 | $41.46 | +3% | 220 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $84,870 | $40.80 | +1% | 1,870 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $84,200 | $40.48 | 0% | 340 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $84,130 | $40.45 | this city | 5,210 |
| 5 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $83,150 | $39.98 | -1% | 2,020 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $83,100 | $39.95 | -1% | 80 |
| 7 | Redding | $81,220 | $39.05 | -3% | 80 |
| 8 | Napa | $80,070 | $38.50 | -5% | 50 |
| 9 | Oxnard metro incl. Ventura · Thousand Oaks | $76,920 | $36.98 | -9% | 270 |
| 10 | Modesto | $76,110 | $36.59 | -10% | 360 |
| 11 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $74,840 | $35.98 | -11% | 370 |
| 12 | Long Beach metro incl. Anaheim · Los Angeles | $67,430 | $32.42 | -20% | 10,150 |
| 13 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $63,770 | $30.66 | -24% | 2,740 |
| 14 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $63,210 | $30.39 | -25% | 360 |
| 15 | Salinas | $62,770 | $30.18 | -25% | 110 |
| 16 | Fresno | $62,160 | $29.88 | -26% | 600 |
| 17 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $62,040 | $29.83 | -26% | 70 |
| 18 | Riverside metro incl. Ontario · San Bernardino | $61,910 | $29.77 | -26% | 1,530 |
| 19 | Chico | $59,520 | $28.62 | -29% | 170 |
| 20 | El Centro | $58,240 | $28.00 | -31% | 50 |
| 21 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $53,640 | $25.79 | -36% | 240 |
| 22 | Visalia | $51,500 | $24.76 | -39% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with MLT wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $76,010
Is San Francisco a good place to work as an MLT?
MLTs in San Francisco earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $84,130 a year, 34% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area, about 2.2 are MLT positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 2.1. MLT jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MLT make in San Francisco, CA?
- A typical MLT in San Francisco earns $84,130 a year, or $40.45 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $55,570 and the top 10% earn over $133,660.
- How much does an MLT make an hour in San Francisco?
- Typical hourly pay for MLTs in San Francisco is $40.45. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $26.72, and the top 10% earn over $64.26 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an MLT in San Francisco?
- Entry-level MLT positions in San Francisco typically offer around $26.72 an hour, or $55,570 a year.
- Is MLT pay in San Francisco higher than in the rest of California?
- San Francisco pay is 11% above the California figure of $76,010 a year, ranking 4th of 22 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $86,250.