Waymo
H-1B salaries and sponsorship, from 506 certified filings (FY2025–FY2026)
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services
- Main U.S. filing address: Mountain View, CA
At a glance
- Waymo hires mid-level. 51% of its filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B employers.
- Most filed: Software Engineer. 70% of its filings. After that come Data Scientist and Research Scientist (Computer Science).
- Mostly above the prevailing wage. 100% of filings are above the prevailing wage. Median offer $205,000, median prevailing wage $185,415.
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Percentiles from Waymo's certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Jobs with at least 10 filings.
What Waymo hires for
Bar: share of Waymo's filings. Figure: median base salary. Top 10 jobs account for 95% of filings (25 occupations in total).
Show all 7 jobs
| Job | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $205,000 | 354 |
| Data Scientist | $205,000 | 28 |
| Research Scientist (Computer Science) | $225,000 | 25 |
| Validation Engineer | $200,000 | 23 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $228,500 | 14 |
| Systems Engineer / Architect | $227,500 | 12 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $225,500 | 12 |
Jobs with at least 10 filings at Waymo.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 2% of filings
Mid-level · 51% of filings
Senior · 33% of filings
Expert · 14% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | too few | 8 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $200,000 | 228 |
| Senior · Level III | $237,000 | 148 |
| Expert · Level IV | $270,000 | 64 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Where Waymo files
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 4 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $205,000 | 397 |
| San Francisco, CA | $205,000 | 56 |
| New York, NY | $215,000 | 29 |
| Seattle, WA | $223,000 | 10 |
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $184,500 |
| 25th | $193,250 |
| 50th (median) | $205,000 |
| 75th | $240,000 |
| 90th | $255,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $165,000 | $141,000 | $175,000 | 309 |
| FY2021 | $170,000 | $145,900 | $195,000 | 288 |
| FY2022 | $175,000 | $170,000 | $205,000 | 279 |
| FY2023 | $179,000 | $175,000 | $215,000 | 254 |
| FY2024 | $188,000 | $180,000 | $220,000 | 169 |
| FY2025 | $204,000 | $185,000 | $235,000 | 229 |
| FY2026 | $205,000 | $200,000 | $240,000 | 277 |
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 Waymo
| Job title | Median | Middle 50% | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $205,000 | $190k–$239.8k | 306 |
| Research Scientist | $225,000 | $191k–$250k | 16 |
| Data Scientist | $205,000 | $200k–$240k | 14 |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $240,000 | $205k–$242.5k | 12 |
Job titles as written on the filings, with at least 10 filings. Middle 50%: 25th–75th percentile.
About Waymo
Waymo's filings list its industry as Computer Systems Design and Related Services (Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector, NAICS 5415). Its main U.S. filing address is in Mountain View, CA 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, Data Scientist and Research Scientist (Computer Science) and the main metro areas are San Jose, CA, San Francisco, CA and New York, NY. The most common wage level in those years is Level II (mid-level).
Questions
Does Waymo sponsor H-1B visas?
Yes. Waymo filed 506 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 Waymo pay H-1B workers?
The median base salary on Waymo's H-1B filings is $205,000; half of filings fall between $193,250 and $240,000. Bonus and stock are not included.