Hiring medical device talent in San Francisco means competing with Penumbra and Abbott’s diabetes care business in Alameda, Bio-Rad in Hercules and a steady stream of venture-funded start-ups across the Bay Area. Our San Francisco medical device recruiters go after the engineers, quality and regulatory specialists and sales reps those companies are working hardest to keep — the ones who are not answering job postings. What is scarce is experience taking a product from design control through an FDA submission, and that is where our medtech executive search and recruiting focuses.
Send us the Bay Area role that has been open too long. We work passive candidates rather than job boards, we know which companies people are willing to leave and at what point in a funding cycle, and we run the search from first contact to accepted offer.
Part of Surf Search’s medtech and medical device recruiting practice.
2026 salary guide
Compare the guide’s low, median and high salary figures before setting your hiring budget.
| Role | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Engineer, Medical Devices | $118,000 | $183,000 | $255,000 |
| Clinical Specialist, Medical Devices | $113,000 | $177,000 | $249,000 |
| Manufacturing Engineer, Medical Devices | $111,000 | $156,000 | $208,000 |
| Medical Device Sales Representative | $93,000 | $160,000 | $249,000 |
| Product Manager, Medical Devices | $171,000 | $204,000 | $255,000 |
| Quality Engineer, Medical Devices | $124,000 | $168,000 | $213,000 |
Surf Search’s 2026 guide publishes these median annual salary figures for San Francisco: Medical Device Sales Representative: $160,000; Quality Engineer, Medical Devices: $168,000. Compare the low and high figures in the tables above as well. The roles represent different responsibilities and levels, so use the matching role as a starting point and discuss your particular assignment with our team.
Source: Surf Search Life Sciences 2026 Salary Guide. Published annual salary figures; individual offers depend on the role, experience and compensation package.
A medical device incubator approached us in search of a principal design quality engineer for a Class III combination device. The ideal candidate would need a range of qualifications, including a deep understanding of combination drug-devices and expertise in designing a variety of implantable medical devices. However, the financial resources for the role were limited, and no relocation package was on offer. Given our comprehensive local insight as medical device recruiters, we were aware of the task's difficulty. However, we were able to locate the ideal candidate and successfully persuade them to take the position.
Jan and Debbie at Surf Search are detail-oriented recruiters and a pleasure to work with. They consistently produce great results for us and provide candidates of the highest integrity. Aside from that, I find them both to be very personable. I enjoy working with Surf Search on all our tough-to-fill jobs.
Recruiter specialization in the medical industry exponentially increases your ability to target the best talent for your company. Surf Search has a deep database of medical device candidates working at companies around the country. We develop strong career relationships with candidates in the industry and know what they are looking for in a new job in San Francisco.
Surf Search will collaborate with your San Francisco recruitment team to ensure a compelling narrative is constructed to promote both the job and your company effectively. We will assist in refining your job descriptions for clarity and appeal. The outlining of benefits, company culture, and career growth opportunities should be transparent and enticing. Additionally, we will ensure the interview process is concise and effective. Subsequently, Surf Search will introduce three to eight suitable San Francisco candidates for each role within a span of one to two weeks. We will facilitate setting up interviews, follow-ups with the candidates and the hiring teams, perform reference checks when necessary, and negotiate the job offer when the moment arrives. We maintain ongoing communication with the hiring manager and the new recruit to guarantee successful onboarding and confirm that the candidate is flourishing in their new role.
Surf Search excels in filling vital roles in R&D, manufacturing, operations, HR, financial, and top leadership positions within medtech/medical device companies. Leveraging more than two decades of recruiting experience in the medical device sector, we possess a comprehensive database of San Francisco candidates, in addition to a robust network of potential candidates with whom we maintain regular communication.
We work on medtech/medical device positions with companies across the country and in San Francisco, and partner with other top recruiting firms who also specialize in our industry. This dramatically increases our reach. Networking is our bread and butter.
We are a specialized recruitment firm with a concentrated focus on medical device companies. Our extensive tenure in the headhunting business within San Francisco has earned us an excellent reputation among our clients and candidates. Many of our clients have remained loyal to us through various company transitions and have continued to rely on our services as they ascend in their own careers. In the realm of medical device company recruitment, your effectiveness is determined by the extent of your connections, and our recruitment network in San Francisco is substantial. If a group of a dozen headhunters were given the same medical device search task, Surf Search would invariably emerge as the leader. Our understanding and wealth of experience in medical device recruitment set us apart in headhunting circles across the U.S.
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