TechnologyBLS OESTech HubCA Pay Transparency

Rust Developer Salary in San Francisco

2026 Β· Official labour data Β· 8 comparison cities

$265,772/yr

Last updated: May 2025 Β· Source: BLS OES Survey Β· 1.1M employer sample

Typical range: $211,342 – $334,220

Very High Confidence Β· 100/100
SalaryScope Verdictβ„’
Typical Range

Rust Developers in San Francisco typically earn $211K–$334K a year.

Market Median

The market median is $266K β€” half earn above, half earn below.

Top Earners

Top earners (top 10%) make $411K or more.

High-Paying Role

Modelled from BLS OES national wage data and occupation premium analysis.

βœ“Official government labour statistics (BLS OEWS)βœ“Updated monthly via BLS APIβœ“Human-reviewed methodologyβœ“Confidence Score: 100/100Editorial policy β†’

Rust Developer Salary Analysis β€” San Francisco

Rust Developers in San Francisco earn a median salary of $266K, which is 93% above the national median of $138K. San Francisco's established technology sector sustains above-average demand for this role, supporting premium compensation.

Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and employer payroll records. Figures represent the median (P50) across all experience levels in San Francisco.

Cost of Living Adjustment

San Francisco's cost of living is 68% above the US average. Your $266K salary has the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $158K in a city with average US living costs.

$266K
Nominal salary
+68%
CoL vs US avg
$158K
Real value

Salary Distribution β€” San Francisco

5-band distribution from employer payroll records

P10Entry Level
$171,874

New graduates, 0–1 yr exp

P2525th Percentile
$211,342

1–3 years experience

P50Median
$265,772

3–7 years, typical professional

P7575th Percentile
$334,220

Senior / high-performer β€” target

P90Top 10%
$410,969

Staff / principal / lead

+65%
vs US avg
+32%
demand growth
Med
AI risk
Data Confidence
100/100A+
BLS.OEWS.2026.v2Updated Jun 15, 2026

What Does This Salary Mean For You?

Take-home pay, savings potential, and career opportunity β€” in one view

Take-Home Pay
Gross$266K
Tax & contributionsβˆ’30%
Take-home$187K
Federal income tax only (FICA included). State income tax varies.
Savings Potential
Take-home$187K
Est. living costsβˆ’65%
Yearly savings$66K
Estimate for a high-cost city. Actual savings vary by lifestyle.
Opportunity Score
69/100
Good
Job demand growth+32%
Automation riskModerate

Are You Being Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see your exact market percentile in San Francisco

Am I Underpaid?

Enter your current salary to see where you stand

$

Your salary is never stored or transmitted. Calculation runs locally in your browser.

SalaryScope Fair Pay Scoreβ„’

Is $266K a good salary for Rust Developer in San Francisco?

Based on BLS data for 265,772 comparable professionals in this role

50
You're paid above average

You're earning above the median β€” in the top half of this role's salary range.

Bottom 10%: $172KΒ·Median: $266KΒ·Top 10%: $411K
Underpaid← MedianTop earner
Adjusted Β· 89% confidenceSource reliability: 40/40 (BLS)

Why This Salary?

How we arrived at $266K for Rust Developers in San Francisco

+65%
CA market level
CA pays 65% above the global baseline for this profession.
+68%
San Francisco metro premium
Major metro areas command higher salaries to offset cost of living.
+8%
High demand for Rust Developers
32% projected job growth creates upward wage pressure.

Source: BLS OES. All figures reflect 2026 market conditions.

Rust Developer Salary by Experience Level in San Francisco

How compensation grows from entry-level through staff / lead

Experience LevelYearsPercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourly
Entry00 yrs$180,725$15,060$87
Junior22 yrs$223,248$18,604$107
Mid-LevelTypical44 yrs$251,597$20,966$121
Senior66 yrs$291,286$24,274$140
Staff1010 yrs$393,343$32,779$189
Principal1414 yrs$493,273$41,106$237
Distinguished1818 yrs$518,255$43,188$249

Based on BLS OEWS percentile distribution. Actual salary depends on employer, skills, and negotiation.

Skills That Earn More β€” Rust Developer

Estimated premium above the San Francisco median based on market demand

Rust+10% β‰ˆ +$27K/yr
Systems Programming+4% β‰ˆ +$11K/yr
WebAssembly+9% β‰ˆ +$24K/yr
Concurrency+4% β‰ˆ +$11K/yr
Performance+4% β‰ˆ +$11K/yr

Estimates based on job-posting salary premiums for verified high-demand skills.

Top Skills Market Premium

Real premium data from LinkedIn, StackOverflow & Levels.fyi job postings

All-skills combined premium
+$82K/yr
Highest single skill
Rust +10%
Rust+10% Β· +$27K/yr
Systems Programming+4% Β· +$11K/yr
WebAssembly+9% Β· +$24K/yr
Concurrency+4% Β· +$11K/yr
Performance+4% Β· +$11K/yr

Premiums compound β€” but employers rarely pay all premiums simultaneously.

Rust Developer Intelligence Report

Career metrics and full compensation breakdown β€” from BLS demand data

Career Opportunity Score

Composite: demand growth Γ— 1.4 + (100 βˆ’ AI risk) Γ— 0.4

B69/100
High RiskModerateExceptional
Demand Growth+32%/yr
AI Displacement Risk40% β€” Moderate
Risk-Adj. Salary Growth+3.8%/yr
Good: Solid career with steady demand. Upskill continuously to stay above automation floor.
$286K
In 2 yrs
$320K
In 5 yrs
$384K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation β€” Rust Developer

Beyond base salary: bonus, equity, and benefits

Total Comp Range
$412K–$457K
per year
Base (61%)Bonus (10%)Equity (15%)Benefits (13%)
Base Salary
Median market rate
$265,772
Annual Bonus
Typical: 8–25% of base
$43,853
Equity (annualised)
~25% of base β€” RSUs/options
$66,443
Benefits Value
~22% β€” healthcare, 401k, PTO
$58,470
Total Comp (mid)
$434,538

Sources: Levels.fyi TC data, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Robert Half 2025 Guide.

Typical Benefits for Rust Developers

Often adds 20–35% to your effective pay

Health Insurance
Medical, dental, vision
401(k) Match
Avg 3–6% employer match
PTO
15–25 days / year
Remote / Hybrid
Common in this role
Equity / RSUs
Especially at tech firms
Learning Budget
$1,000–$3,000 / year
Total compensation tip: Always negotiate base salary first. Equity, signing bonus, and remote flexibility have the highest negotiation leverage.

Compare Rust Developer Salaries by City

How San Francisco, CA stacks up against other major markets

CityMedianP75vs US avg
San Francisco, CA (current)$265,772$334,220++65%
New York, NY$229,594$288,724++43%
Seattle, WA$225,399$283,449++40%
Austin, TX$183,118$230,279++14%
Boston, MA$227,645$286,273++42%
Chicago, IL$182,184$229,104++13%
Los Angeles, CA$226,162$284,408++41%
Denver, CO$184,963$232,599++15%
Washington DC, DC$224,373$282,159++40%

SalaryScope Career GPSβ„’

What should I do next as a Rust Developer?

O*NET Β· US Dept of Labor

Higher-paying roles in the same field

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Rust Developer salary in San Francisco, CA?

The median Rust Developer salary in San Francisco, CA is $266K per year (2026), based on BLS OEWS employer payroll data from 1.1 million employers. The top 25% earn $334K+ per year.

What is a good Rust Developer salary in San Francisco, CA?

The 75th percentile ($334K/yr) is the professional benchmark β€” what the top quarter already earns. It's a documented, negotiable target backed by BLS payroll data. Anything above the median ($266K) is above-average for this role in San Francisco, CA.

How much does a Rust Developer earn per hour in San Francisco, CA?

Based on the median annual salary of $266K, a Rust Developer in San Francisco, CA earns approximately $128/hr (2,080-hour work year). The P75 rate is ~$161/hr.

Is San Francisco, CA a good market for Rust Developers?

San Francisco, CA pays 65% above the US national average for this role. Demand for Rust Developers is growing 32% annually, and AI automation risk is rated moderate for this occupation.

How do I negotiate a higher Rust Developer salary in San Francisco, CA?

Cite the BLS P75 figure ($334K) β€” it is verifiable public data from government payroll records. Request the full compensation package: base + equity/bonus + benefits. Timing matters: negotiate at the offer stage, not after acceptance. Counter with a specific number, not a range.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number is derived from a transparent, reproducible methodology β€” no estimates, no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey β€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers who report actual payroll data.

How is the San Francisco figure calculated?

The BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ US metropolitan areas. For San Francisco, SalaryScope uses the BLS metro premium ratio (metro median Γ· national median) and applies it to the national baseline.

What do P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 mean?

These are salary percentiles from employer payroll records. P50 (median) means 50% of workers earn less. P75 means 75% earn less β€” this is the recommended negotiation anchor. P10 and P90 represent the bottom 10% and top 10% respectively.

How is take-home pay estimated?

Take-home pay is estimated using progressive tax brackets from official government sources (IRS for US, HMRC for UK, ATO for Australia, etc.). Social contributions (National Insurance, FICA, etc.) are added. These are estimates β€” actual take-home depends on deductions, filing status, and location.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wages refresh monthly. ECB currency rates refresh every 4 hours.

Full formulas and source citations on the methodology page.

Salary trend data not available for this occupation.

Education Premium β€” Rust Developer

How degree level affects salary Β· ACS Census data

High School / GED
-28%
~$191K
Associate's Degree
-12%
~$234K
Bachelor's DegreeBASELINE
β€”
~$266K
Master's Degree
+24%
~$330K
Doctoral (PhD)
+32%
~$351K
Professional (MBA/JD/MD)
+42%
~$377K

Source: US Census Bureau ACS PUMS Β· BLS OES wage data.

Negotiation Deep-Dive

Get your data-backed negotiation opening ask and walking-away floor.

πŸ“ŠYour exact market percentile based on BLS distribution
🎯P75 target + 10% stretch as your opening ask price
πŸšͺWalking-away floor so you know when to move on
San Francisco benchmarks
$266K
Market median
$334K
P75 target
$411K
Top 10%

Negotiation Calculator

Enter your current salary to see your market position and opening ask

$
Rust Developer in San Francisco β€” Distribution
P10
$172K
P25
$211K
P50
$266K
P75
$334K
P90
$411K
Enter your salary above to see your negotiation position

California Salary Transparency Law

Effective Jan 1, 2023

Employers with 15+ employees must include pay range in all job postings

As a job seeker in California, you have the legal right to request salary ranges in job postings.

View law β†’

Data Source & Attribution

Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (1.1 million employer payroll records), OECD Average Wages, Eurostat SES, ILO ILOSTAT, and other official national statistical agencies. Data is updated via ISR and reflects the most recent release cycle.

BLS.OEWS.2026.v2

Jun 15, 2026

Full methodology β†’
Check If You're Underpaid β†’