San Francisco is one of the most preferred destinations for job seekers due to the high number of jobs and impressive pay scales. It’s a bit costly to live here compared to places like New York, but many who arrive here choose to stay back for what the city has to offer!
What Makes it Special to Work and Live in San Francisco?
San Francisco may be a small city, but it has a lot to offer! You can find employment in several industries that offer salaries higher than the national average. The city is full of wide and open spaces like Golden Gate Park and the cliffs of Lands Ends, giving you ample opportunities to catch some fresh air!
You can pick up from several neighborhoods to live in, each with their specialty. The city also boasts of an extensive network of public transportation, including buses, ferries, cable cars and private options like Uber, Lyft and e-scooters- that means you can live without a car!
Salary in San Francisco
The nature of your salary depends on the industry you will work in and your professional experience. Full-time employees in the city recorded an average increase of 2.8% in annual salaries in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, while the national average went up by 1.8%.
You can expect an average salary of $87,096 but can earn more depending on your industry. For example, an entry-level software engineer can earn $103,000 per year, whereas a financial analyst could begin with $73,751 per year.
You can also find jobs in healthcare, where registered nurses make an average of $91,423 per year, compared to a national average of $65,920.
Most of the companies offer salaries above the national average, which are needed to make up for the high cost of living.
Industries and Job Statistics
You may think that you need to be a computer expert to get a job in San Francisco, but many other industries offer good employment opportunities. According to the Employment Development Department of California, the number of jobs increased by 3.9% between January 2018 and January 2019.
You can find employment in different industries like tourism and leisure, which is the biggest economic sector in the city. The industry added around 4,800 jobs, many of them in bars and food services.
Information technology is no doubt another major employer and added 7,300 jobs. Healthcare and education are also prominent employers recording an increase of 5,600 and 1,100 jobs, respectively.
Finance is another prospective area, with the city being home to over 30 international financial institutions. The sector added 2,900 jobs while professional, and business services accounted for another additional 13,200 jobs.
You can also find employment in transportation, trade and utility sectors that recorded an increase of 2,900 jobs.
Whatever’s your specialty or industry, you can look forward to a prospective employment opportunity in San Francisco.
Housing and Accommodation
It may not be difficult to find accommodation, but the rents can be quite high compared to other cities. In 2017, the median gross rent in San Francisco was $1,853, compared to the national gross rent of $1,012. A nice one-bedroom studio apartment in the city center can put you back by $3,500.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find affordable housing! You can look for accommodation in budget-friendly neighborhoods like South of Market, Tenderloin, Mission, Bayview Hunters Point and Western Addition, all of which account for 60% of the city’s affordable living units.
You can also look for single rooms instead of whole apartments and pay a rent of $500. You can also live in rent-controlled housing built before January 1979, with a maximum 2% increase in rent per year.
The best way to find affordable housing is to look at Craiglist and Facebook rental groups.
