--- title: "Biotech and life sciences office space in San Francisco" description: "Where biotech and life sciences occupiers cluster in San Francisco, what they pay, and what the typical fit-out looks like." canonical: https://classa.info/cities/san-francisco/industries/biotech-life-sciences pageType: city-industry lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Biotech and life sciences occupiers in San Francisco typically cluster in Financial District, plan ~320 sqft per seat at high-end fit-out ($235–330/sqft), and pay around 78 USD/sqft ($78 USD) on Class A. ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: Financial District. - Typical fit-out spec: High-end ($235–330/sqft). - Plan ~320 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 78 USD/sqft ($78 USD). - Typical lease: 7 years with 22 months rent-free. - Talent depth in San Francisco: 98/100. # Biotech and life sciences office space in San Francisco **Biotech and life sciences occupiers in San Francisco typically cluster in Financial District, plan ~320 sqft per seat at high-end [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out ($235–330/sqft), and pay around 78 USD/sqft ($78 USD) on [Class A](/glossary/class-a).** ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: Financial District. - Typical fit-out spec: High-end ($235–330/sqft). - Plan ~320 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 78 USD/sqft ($78 USD). - Typical lease: 7 years with 22 months rent-free. - Talent depth in San Francisco: 98/100. ## Where they cluster Biotech and life sciences occupiers in San Francisco typically anchor in Financial District. Banking, asset managers, law firms, professional services. ## What they pay Class A rent in San Francisco runs 78 USD/sqft ($78 USD) on a 7-year lease with 22 months free. Prime submarkets sit at or modestly above the city index. ## Spec and fit-out Typical biotech and life sciences fit-out targets high-end specification at $235–330/sqft. Branded reception, full client-facing programming, premium furniture, and specialist AV are standard. ## Headcount sizing Plan around 320 sqft per seat blended (workstation + circulation + amenity). A 100-headcount biotech office in San Francisco typically targets 32,000 sqft of leasable area. ## Talent angle Cluster effects are decisive: PhD-grade talent concentrates near academic-medical anchors and translational research institutes. Deepest AI/ML and senior software engineering talent pool globally. Average all-in compensation indexes 98 vs. New York's 100. ## Tax and lease context Headline corporate tax: 27%. Modified-gross with operating-expense escalations over a [base year](/glossary/base-year). Rent-free of 18-30 months on a 10-year term is current market for trophy assets in lease-up. TI of $150-$220/sqft is achievable. Termination options at year 5 are increasingly negotiable. ## Key facts | city | San Francisco| | industry | Biotech and life sciences| | naics | 541714, 541715, 325412| | preferredSubmarket | Financial District| | preferredFitoutSpec | High-end| | fitoutBand | $235–330/sqft| | sqftPerSeat | 320| | classARentLocal | 78 USD/sqft/yr| | classARentUsd | $78/sqft/yr| | vacancyPct | 31.5%| | typicalLeaseYears | 7| | typicalRentFreeMonths | 22| | talentIndex | 98| | corporateTaxPct | 27%| ## Frequently asked questions ****Where do biotech and life sciences occupiers lease office space in San Francisco?**** : Most cluster in Financial District. Rent runs ~78 USD/sqft ($78 USD) for trophy and prime stock. ****What fit-out spec do biotech and life sciences occupiers run in San Francisco?**** : Typically high-end at $235–330/sqft. ****How much office space per seat should a biotech and life sciences occupier plan in San Francisco?**** : Plan ~320 sqft per seat blended. A 100-person team typically takes 32,000 sqft. ****What NAICS codes describe the biotech and life sciences vertical?**** : Representative NAICS 2022 codes: 541714, 541715, 325412. ****What is the talent index in San Francisco?**** : 98/100. Use the city profile for full detail. ## Related - [**Biotech and life sciences — global overview**](/industries/biotech-life-sciences) - [**San Francisco — full city profile**](/cities/san-francisco) - [**Financial services in San Francisco**](/cities/san-francisco/industries/financial-services) - [**Asset management in San Francisco**](/cities/san-francisco/industries/asset-management) - [**Investment banking in San Francisco**](/cities/san-francisco/industries/investment-banking) - [**Legal services in San Francisco**](/cities/san-francisco/industries/legal-services) ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) ## Related topics - [**Class A Lease Negotiation**](/topics/class-a-lease-negotiation) — How to negotiate a Class A office lease — the playbook from LOI to signed deal. - [**Hybrid Workplace Strategy**](/topics/hybrid-workplace-strategy) — How to size, structure, and lease a Class A office for a hybrid workforce. - [**ESG / LEED for Tenants**](/topics/esg-leed-tenants) — How tenants evaluate, negotiate, and report on ESG performance in a Class A office lease. - [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies. - [**Fit-out Capex**](/topics/fit-out-capex) — How to budget, sequence, and govern Class A office fit-out capex. - [**Lease vs Flex**](/topics/lease-vs-flex) — When premium flex (coworking, [managed office](/glossary/managed-office)) beats a conventional Class A lease — and vice versa. --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/cities/san-francisco/industries/biotech-life-sciences), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.