Tesla Validation Engineer salary

Based on 177 H-1B filings by Tesla, Inc., fiscal years 2025–2026. Base salary only.

Median salary$148,603
Middle 50%$125.5k–$170.8k
vs. all employers+18%comparison median $126,418
Filings177FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $88,058 and $304,780.
PercentileSalary
10th$102,000
25th$125,500
50th (median)$148,603
75th$170,824
90th$222,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $135k $180k FY2020: median $110,000 (33 filings) FY2021: median $115,000 (28 filings) FY2024: median $163,198 (29 filings) FY2025: median $140,641 (76 filings) FY2026: median $151,092 (101 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 33 filings FY20 FY2021: 28 filings FY21 FY2022: 8 filings FY22 FY2023: 8 filings FY23 FY2024: 29 filings FY24 FY2025: 76 filings FY25 FY2026: 101 filings FY26 101
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$110,000$100,000$125,00033
FY2021$115,000$100,000$130,50028
FY2022–––8
FY2023–––8
FY2024$163,198$119,413$178,52529
FY2025$140,641$118,381$173,73576
FY2026$151,092$127,602$170,824101

By state

California
$182,665
Texas
$138,513
Nevada
$113,325
Illinois
$117,025
Minnesota
$116,683

Bar length: number of filings (California 82). Figure: average salary in that state.

By city

Austin, TX$139,590 · 63 filings
Palo Alto, CA$207,000 · 37 filings
Fremont, CA$157,297 · 29 filings
Sparks, NV$109,018 · 12 filings

Cities with at least 10 filings. Figure: median salary.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Level I · Entry $99,837 14
Level II · Qualified $143,713 93
Level III · Experienced $170,750 46
Level IV · Fully competent too few 9

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Questions

How much does a validation engineer make at Tesla?

In H-1B filings, Tesla, Inc.'s median base salary for Validation Engineer is $148,603; half of filings fall between $125,500 and $170,824. Bonus and stock are not included.

Does Tesla sponsor H-1B visas for validation engineers?

Yes. Tesla, Inc. filed 177 certified Labor Condition Applications for this role in FY2025–FY2026. A filing is a step before the visa petition, not an approval.

Which job titles are included?

Filings are grouped by occupation code 17-2199 (Validation Engineers), so this page covers every job title Tesla filed under that code.

Where does this data come from?

The U.S. Department of Labor's public LCA disclosure files, updated every quarter. Methodology