What is the median H-1B salary in San Jose?

Across all certified H-1B LCA filings with a San Jose, CA worksite, the median offered wage is $152,250, with a 25th–75th percentile range of $126,464 to $184,799. This covers 30,249 certified filings (FY2021–FY2024). The national median across all filings is $111,197.

Which roles pay the most for H-1B workers in San Jose?

By median offered wage, the highest-paying roles with meaningful filing volume in San Jose, CA are Machine Learning Engineer ($190,000, 592 filings), Product Manager ($182,100, 854 filings), Data Scientist ($168,488, 1,088 filings), Software Engineer ($167,149, 11,970 filings).

Which employers sponsor the most H-1B workers in San Jose?

By certified filing volume the leading San Jose, CA sponsors are PayPal, Inc. (1,495 filings, median $175,525), Cisco Systems, Inc. (1,431 filings, median $151,902), Adobe Inc. (1,306 filings, median $183,750), eBay Inc. (1,240 filings, median $186,917), Ernst & Young U.S. LLP (822 filings, median $131,437). Counts cover FY2021–FY2024.

What DOL wage levels do H-1B filings in San Jose use?

Of 24,098 San Jose, CA filings with a recorded DOL wage level, 4,036 are Level I, 9,762 Level II, 5,461 Level III and 4,839 Level IV, 42.7% at Level III or IV, against a national figure of 39.3%. DOL wage levels are a Department of Labor classification of role experience and complexity, unrelated to an employer's internal engineering levels.

Does a higher DOL wage level improve H-1B lottery odds?

Since February 27, 2026, USCIS weights the H-1B lottery by DOL wage level, Level IV registrations get 4 entries, Level III get 3, Level II get 2, and Level I get 1, so an offer certified at a higher wage level also improves selection odds under the current system.

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H-1B Salaries in San Jose 2026

Across all certified H-1B filings with a San Jose, CA worksite, the median offered wage is $152,250 (25th–75th percentile $126,464–$184,799), based on 30,249 certified LCA filings (FY2021–FY2024).

30,249

Certified Filings

$152,250

Median Offered Wage

42.7%

Level III/IV Share

H-1B Salary by Role in San Jose

Role	Filings	Median	25th–75th %ile
Software Engineer	11,970	$167,149	$141,378 – $192,941
Data Engineer	346	$159,799	$135,200 – $192,941
Data Scientist	1,088	$168,488	$142,002 – $200,110
Machine Learning Engineer	592	$190,000	$157,500 – $225,000
Product Manager	854	$182,100	$154,293 – $212,415
DevOps Engineer	253	$156,970	$130,894 – $190,000

Offered wages as certified on the LCA. Source: DOL LCA disclosure data, FY2021–FY2024.

Top H-1B Sponsors in San Jose

Employer	Filings	Median Wage	Level III/IV
PayPal, Inc.	1,495	$175,525	60.6%
Cisco Systems, Inc.	1,431	$151,902	68.5%
Adobe Inc.	1,306	$183,750	55.7%
eBay Inc.	1,240	$186,917	70.7%
Ernst & Young U.S. LLP	822	$131,437	37.2%
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company	765	$166,962	62.6%

Ranked by certified filing volume, FY2021–FY2024. Median is the employer's own median offered wage for this worksite.

DOL Wage Level Distribution

Every certified LCA records a DOL prevailing wage level from I to IV, reflecting the experience and complexity of the role as certified with the Department of Labor. The counts below are real filing counts for San Jose, not estimated wages per level. DOL wage levels are unrelated to an employer's internal engineering levels.

DOL Wage Level	Certified Filings	Share
Level I	4,036	16.7%
Level II	9,762	40.5%
Level III	5,461	22.7%
Level IV	4,839	20.1%

Based on 24,098 filings with a recorded wage level, FY2021–FY2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose Quick Facts

Certified Filings: 30,249
Median Wage: $152,250
National Median: $111,197
Data Vintage: FY2021–FY2024

Methodology

Figures on this page are computed directly from certified Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) in US Department of Labor disclosure data, 30,249 certified filings with a San Jose, CA worksite (FY2021–FY2024). Wages shown are offered wages as certified on the LCA, not DOL prevailing-wage floors. Percentiles are computed across individual filings; no figures are modeled or estimated.

DOL LCA Disclosure Data