Rank #7 · Strong opportunity
Quant jobs and salaries in San Francisco
What is the quant market like in San Francisco?
Where quant finance overlaps with frontier machine learning and digital assets. Main demand is in ai/ml-heavy quant research, crypto, data and engineering, with 3 of the firms we track running a San Francisco desk. Compensation sits at roughly 95% of the New York benchmark for the equivalent role and seniority.
Compensation by role in San Francisco
Mid-level total compensation, quoted in USD.
| Role | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Quant Researcher | $219k – $2.4m | $451k |
| Quant Trader | $190k – $2.9m | $428k |
| Quant Developer | $171k – $1.1m | $323k |
| Quant Analyst | $119k – $665k | $219k |
| HFT / Low-Latency Engineer | $190k – $1.3m | $366k |
| Systematic Portfolio Manager | $475k – $14m | $1.2m |
Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQaunt 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
These are indicative ranges pending first-party verification. They will be replaced by verified submissions as the Quant Salary Index dataset builds.
San Francisco market report · KnowQaunt 2026.1