Average H1B PM salary is $178,000. FAANG PMs average $195K–$235K with 68% filing at Level III–IV. AI PM roles at AI-native companies reach $238K+. Based on 62,800 LCA filings.
The average H1B product manager salary is $178,000 per year, with a median of $168,000. These figures are based on 62,800 DOL LCA filings through FY2024 — a 63.5% increase over FY2020's 38,400 filings. Product management has become one of the most actively sponsored H1B roles in tech.
The AI product wave has created a new premium tier: AI PM roles at companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and AI-first startups now average $238,000 — 33.7% above the overall PM average. FAANG companies (Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft) average $195K–$235K at Level III–IV, giving excellent lottery odds.
| Percentile | Annual Wage | DOL Wage Level | Lottery Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| P10 (Entry) | $118,000 | Level I | 15% |
| P25 | $142,000 | Level II | 28% |
| P50 (Median) | $168,000 | Level III | 45% |
| P75 | $215,000 | Level IV | 61% |
| P90 (Top) | $268,000 | Level IV | 61% |
California dominates at $215,000 average — 20.8% above national — due to SF Bay Area tech density. Washington ($198K) and Massachusetts ($192K) follow. Texas ($165K) is a growing PM market but pays 7.3% below national average. Florida and the Southeast trail significantly, typically 9–11% below national.
| State | Avg Salary | LCA Filings | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $215,000 | 19,200 | +20.8% |
| Washington | $198,000 | 6,400 | +11.2% |
| New York | $188,000 | 5,900 | +5.6% |
| Massachusetts | $192,000 | 4,200 | +7.9% |
| Texas | $165,000 | 5,100 | -7.3% |
| Illinois | $168,000 | 3,400 | -5.6% |
| Georgia | $162,000 | 2,800 | -9.0% |
| Colorado | $172,000 | 2,500 | -3.4% |
| Virginia | $175,000 | 2,200 | -1.7% |
| New Jersey | $178,000 | 2,100 | 0.0% |
| Florida | $158,000 | 1,900 | -11.2% |
| North Carolina | $162,000 | 1,700 | -9.0% |
The SF Bay Area leads at $238,000 average — driven by FAANG and AI company PM compensation. Seattle ($212K) is second, with Microsoft, Amazon, and a growing AI PM segment. NYC ($195K) reflects the fintech and enterprise SaaS PM market. Boston ($198K) benefits from biotech/medtech and enterprise PM demand.
| City / Metro | Avg Salary | LCA Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area, CA | $238,000 | 14,800 |
| Seattle, WA | $212,000 | 5,400 |
| New York City, NY | $195,000 | 4,900 |
| Boston, MA | $198,000 | 3,600 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $192,000 | 3,200 |
| Austin, TX | $172,000 | 2,800 |
| Chicago, IL | $170,000 | 2,400 |
| Washington DC | $178,000 | 2,100 |
| Denver, CO | $174,000 | 1,900 |
| Atlanta, GA | $165,000 | 1,700 |
68% of H1B PM LCA filings are at Level III or IV. FAANG and top tech companies file almost exclusively at Level III–IV — meaning their PM candidates have 45–61% lottery selection rates. APM and entry-level PM roles at smaller companies often file at Level I–II (15–28% odds) — a significant strategic disadvantage under the wage-weighted lottery.
Meta ($235K avg) and Google ($228K avg) lead FAANG PM compensation. Stripe ($242K) and Airbnb ($235K) pay at or above FAANG despite smaller size, reflecting high-growth company premiums. Amazon and Microsoft trail FAANG peers at $195K–$205K but file in much higher volumes. AI-native companies offer the highest PM wages but in smaller total numbers.
| Employer | LCA Filings | Avg Wage | % Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google / Alphabet | 4,200 | $228,000 | 58% |
| Meta | 3,800 | $235,000 | 62% |
| Amazon | 5,200 | $195,000 | 42% |
| Microsoft | 4,600 | $205,000 | 48% |
| Apple | 2,800 | $218,000 | 52% |
| Salesforce | 2,400 | $188,000 | 38% |
| Stripe | 1,200 | $242,000 | 65% |
| Airbnb | 980 | $235,000 | 60% |
| 1,600 | $215,000 | 52% | |
| Uber | 1,800 | $208,000 | 48% |
PM LCA filings grew 63.5% from FY2020 (38,400) to FY2024 (62,800). Average wages rose 20.3%, from $148K to $178K. The post-2022 AI shift accelerated both filing growth and average wage as AI PM roles commanded premium compensation.
| Fiscal Year | LCA Filings | Avg Wage | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | 38,400 | $148,000 | — |
| FY2021 | 44,200 | $155,000 | +4.7% |
| FY2022 | 52,800 | $162,000 | +4.5% |
| FY2023 | 58,400 | $172,000 | +6.2% |
| FY2024 | 62,800 | $178,000 | +3.5% |
AI/ML product management commands the largest premium — $238K average, 62% Level IV. These roles sit at the intersection of technical depth and product strategy, requiring PMs who can work directly with ML engineers. Fintech and payments PMs ($215K) reflect the Stripe/Plaid/Robinhood premium. Enterprise SaaS PMs ($178K) are the most common category but among the lower-paid.
| Product Area | Avg H1B Wage | % Level IV | Market Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI / ML Products (LLM-driven) | $238,000 | 62% | Very High |
| Consumer / Growth PM | $195,000 | 48% | High |
| Platform / Infrastructure PM | $205,000 | 52% | High |
| Enterprise SaaS PM | $178,000 | 38% | High |
| Data / Analytics PM | $188,000 | 42% | High |
| Fintech / Payments PM | $215,000 | 55% | High |
| Healthcare / MedTech PM | $172,000 | 36% | Moderate |
| FAANG Internal Tools PM | $225,000 | 56% | Moderate |
PM is one of the harder H1B categories to optimize because the specialty occupation requirement demands careful structuring. Get the technical framing right, then use your employer's LCA history as your salary floor.
Ensure specialty occupation clarity
PM H1B petitions are strongest when the job description requires a CS or engineering degree and involves direct technical product development. If your role description is too business-oriented, USCIS may challenge specialty occupation.
Target technical PM roles at tech companies
Platform PM, developer PM, and AI PM roles at tech companies are approved more reliably and pay 15–35% more than business-facing PM roles at enterprise companies.
Use LCA data to anchor the salary conversation
Pull the employer's last 3 years of PM LCA filings using our live salary tool. If they've filed other PMs at $210K and are offering you $175K, you have a concrete data point to push back with.
Negotiate Level IV from the start
If you have 4+ years of PM experience, push for Level IV. The difference between Level III and Level IV isn't just $20–40K in salary — it's the difference between 45% and 61% lottery odds.
Browse PM positions at companies with strong Level III–IV sponsorship records.
H1BVisaJobs.com Research Team
Analysis based on 62,800 DOL LCA filings for product manager roles (FY2020–FY2024). Last updated: May 2026.