Caterpillar
H-1B salaries and sponsorship, from 612 certified filings (FY2025–FY2026)
- Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing
- Headquarters: Irving
- Founded 1925
- 104,000 employees (2018)
- New York Stock Exchange: CAT
At a glance
- Most filed: Software Engineer. 38% of its filings. After that come Mechanical Engineer and Electrical Engineer.
- Often files at the prevailing wage. 90% of filings are at exactly the prevailing wage, which at Caterpillar's jobs and locations has a median of $111,675.
- 3rd among the largest filers in its industry. Caterpillar's median ($111,675) is below Deere & Company and CNH Industrial America.
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Percentiles from Caterpillar's certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Jobs with at least 10 filings.
What Caterpillar hires for
Bar: share of Caterpillar's filings. Figure: median base salary. Top 10 jobs account for 96% of filings (25 occupations in total).
Show all 9 jobs
| Job | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $127,587 | 234 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $100,298 | 109 |
| Electrical Engineer | $100,069 | 106 |
| Data Scientist | $107,611 | 45 |
| Industrial Engineer | $96,159 | 28 |
| Validation Engineer | $93,330 | 22 |
| Systems Engineer / Architect | $121,202 | 17 |
| QA Engineer | $95,680 | 13 |
| Data Engineer | $147,472 | 11 |
Jobs with at least 10 filings at Caterpillar.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 1% of filings
Mid-level · 40% of filings
Senior · 20% of filings
Expert · 39% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 8 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,680 | 228 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,818 | 115 |
| Expert · Level IV | $131,227 | 224 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Caterpillar vs. industry peers
Deere & CompanyMedian base salary, all jobs, FY2025–FY2026. Largest H-1B filers with the same industry code (NAICS 3331).
Where Caterpillar files
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 4 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | $101,546 | 355 |
| Chicago, IL | $130,707 | 111 |
| Dallas, TX | $124,338 | 30 |
| Tucson, AZ | $102,128 | 18 |
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $89,473 |
| 25th | $96,299 |
| 50th (median) | $111,675 |
| 75th | $127,754 |
| 90th | $148,801 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $106,356 | $95,137 | $116,503 | 147 |
| FY2021 | $108,000 | $96,869 | $123,000 | 190 |
| FY2022 | $106,347 | $98,800 | $120,748 | 331 |
| FY2023 | $108,424 | $98,800 | $122,478 | 244 |
| FY2024 | $103,293 | $93,288 | $126,318 | 293 |
| FY2025 | $111,675 | $97,032 | $127,587 | 359 |
| FY2026 | $111,675 | $95,680 | $130,707 | 253 |
Pay vs. prevailing wage
Filing at exactly the prevailing wage does not mean low pay: at senior levels and in high-cost areas the prevailing wage itself is high.
Job titles at Caterpillar
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $109,688 | $106.6k–$116.9k | 46 |
| Performance Simulation Application Engineer | $95,680 | $93.2k–$100.3k | 43 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $134,347 | $127.8k–$148.9k | 37 |
| Embedded Software Senior Engineer | $120,546 | $111.7k–$127.6k | 27 |
| Embedded Software Engineer | $97,032 | $92.8k–$97k | 25 |
| Lead Software Engineer | $152,038 | $148.9k–$153.3k | 24 |
| Control Systems Senior Engineer | $111,644 | $98.9k–$113.4k | 22 |
| Senior Design Engineer | $114,920 | $106.9k–$123.4k | 18 |
| Data Scientist | $103,958 | $94k–$119.6k | 17 |
| Control Systems Engineer | $92,789 | $85.4k–$95.7k | 15 |
| Autonomy Engineer | $97,032 | $92.8k–$114.4k | 14 |
| Design Engineer | $97,240 | $95.7k–$105.9k | 14 |
| Senior Performance Simulation Application Engineer | $109,263 | $100.3k–$116.1k | 14 |
| Senior Autonomy Engineer | $116,771 | $114.6k–$127.6k | 13 |
| Electronic Systems Verification Validation Engineer | $85,405 | $84.3k–$88.3k | 12 |
Show 1 more
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autonomy Engineering Specialist | $127,587 | $126.6k–$130k | 11 |
Job titles as written on the filings, with at least 10 filings. Middle 50%: 25th–75th percentile.
About Caterpillar
Caterpillar's filings list its industry as Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (Manufacturing sector, NAICS 3331). Its main U.S. filing address is in Irving, TX and its filings in the data run from FY2020 to FY2026 Q3. In the latest two fiscal years, the most filed jobs are Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer and Electrical Engineer and the main metro areas are Peoria, IL, Chicago, IL and Dallas, TX. The most common wage level in those years is Level II (mid-level).
- Founded
- 1925
- Headquarters
- Irving
- Employees
- 104,000 (2018)
- Website
- caterpillar.com
- Stock
- New York Stock Exchange: CAT
Company facts on this page: Wikidata. Salary data: U.S. Department of Labor.
Questions
Does Caterpillar sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Caterpillar filed 612 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications in FY2025–FY2026, the latest two fiscal years. The most recent filing in the data is from FY2026 Q3. A certified LCA is a step before the H-1B petition; it is not a visa approval.
How much does Caterpillar pay H-1B workers?
The median base salary on Caterpillar's H-1B filings is $111,675; half of filings fall between $96,299 and $127,754. Bonus and stock are not included.