Ford
H-1B salaries and sponsorship, from 1,701 certified filings (FY2025–FY2026)
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
- Main U.S. filing address: Dearborn, MI
- Includes 2 legal entities
At a glance
- Ford hires at the expert level. 41% of its filings are Level IV, 2.3 times the share across all H-1B employers (18%).
- Most filed: Software Engineer. 40% of its filings. After that come Mechanical Engineer and Data Scientist.
- Mostly above the prevailing wage. 50% of filings are above the prevailing wage. Median offer $128,877, median prevailing wage $120,349.
- 7th among the largest filers in its industry. Ford's median ($128,877) is below General Motors Company and Fca.
Is your Ford offer competitive?
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Percentiles from Ford's certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Jobs with at least 10 filings.
What Ford hires for
Bar: share of Ford's filings. Figure: median base salary. Top 10 jobs account for 95% of filings (32 occupations in total).
Show all 11 jobs
| Job | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $132,350 | 674 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $125,362 | 329 |
| Data Scientist | $116,345 | 114 |
| Systems Engineer / Architect | $128,877 | 103 |
| Electrical Engineer | $126,240 | 91 |
| Data Engineer | $140,107 | 72 |
| QA Engineer | $120,411 | 72 |
| Industrial Engineer | $107,661 | 66 |
| IT Manager | $160,927 | 44 |
| Engineering Director | $172,994 | 43 |
| Electronics Engineer | $122,117 | 19 |
Jobs with at least 10 filings at Ford.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 6% of filings
Mid-level · 27% of filings
Senior · 25% of filings
Expert · 41% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $110,310 | 103 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $113,580 | 438 |
| Senior · Level III | $120,349 | 397 |
| Expert · Level IV | $138,486 | 663 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Ford vs. industry peers
Zoox$179,000
Rivian$156,400
Tesla$150,000
Lucid Motors$143,398
General Motors Company$140,079
Fca$135,006
Ford$128,877
Median base salary, all jobs, FY2025–FY2026. Largest H-1B filers with the same industry code (NAICS 3361).
Where Ford files
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 10 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | $125,893 | 1,283 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $145,809 | 86 |
| San Jose, CA | $180,720 | 75 |
| Dallas, TX | $134,971 | 54 |
| Austin, TX | $136,989 | 21 |
| Charlotte, NC | $140,795 | 17 |
| Seattle, WA | $144,247 | 15 |
| New York, NY | $135,908 | 14 |
| Chicago, IL | $125,801 | 12 |
| Miami, FL | $115,152 | 10 |
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $99,902 |
| 25th | $113,580 |
| 50th (median) | $128,877 |
| 75th | $142,170 |
| 90th | $167,295 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $85,994 | $80,059 | $98,580 | 368 |
| FY2021 | $92,789 | $82,555 | $108,087 | 633 |
| FY2022 | $98,322 | $86,400 | $112,736 | 1,008 |
| FY2023 | $105,840 | $88,500 | $117,166 | 679 |
| FY2024 | $116,730 | $109,680 | $131,130 | 861 |
| FY2025 | $131,130 | $114,691 | $145,329 | 1,020 |
| FY2026 | $127,379 | $113,490 | $138,486 | 681 |
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.
By legal entity
| Legal entity | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Company | $128,794 | 1,626 |
| Ford Motor Credit Company LLC | $132,810 | 75 |
Ford files under several company names; this page adds them up. Median shown at 10+ filings.
Job titles at Ford
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $132,350 | $115.4k–$140k | 147 |
| Full Stack Data Engineer | $136,630 | $124.5k–$145.2k | 57 |
| Senior Software Engineer | $138,486 | $120.9k–$155.2k | 50 |
| Data Scientist | $113,490 | $104.8k–$128.7k | 49 |
| Product Development Engineer | $120,349 | $109.5k–$131.1k | 46 |
| Platform Software Engineer | $144,535 | $132.4k–$148.1k | 40 |
| Data Engineer | $132,350 | $125.7k–$139.7k | 30 |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $92,144 | $91.3k–$106.5k | 18 |
| Embedded Software Engineer | $125,460 | $114.8k–$132.4k | 17 |
| Product Manager | $130,004 | $118.7k–$140k | 16 |
| Analytics Scientist | $118,279 | $97.4k–$128.7k | 14 |
| Research Engineer | $125,362 | $125.4k–$140k | 13 |
| Full Stack Software Engineer | $130,565 | $114.1k–$132.4k | 12 |
| Software Validation Engineer | $109,680 | $100.1k–$123.9k | 11 |
| Data Product Manager | $137,662 | $125.3k–$143.9k | 10 |
Show 1 more
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Product Manager | $108,421 | $107.2k–$126.2k | 10 |
Job titles as written on the filings, with at least 10 filings. Middle 50%: 25th–75th percentile.
About Ford
Ford's filings list its industry as Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (Manufacturing sector, NAICS 3361). Its main U.S. filing address is in Dearborn, MI 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 Data Scientist and the main metro areas are Detroit, MI, Los Angeles, CA and San Jose, CA. The most common wage level in those years is Level IV (expert).
Questions
Does Ford sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Ford filed 1,701 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 Ford pay H-1B workers?
The median base salary on Ford's H-1B filings is $128,877; half of filings fall between $113,580 and $142,170. Bonus and stock are not included.