H-1B salaries in Texas vs. California
Published November 10, 2026 · Data through FY2026 Q3
California and Texas are two of the largest states for H-1B employment, and they look very different in the data. This guide compares base salaries in certified H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) filings by worksite state, covering all jobs, software engineers and data scientists, along with wage levels, metro areas and the largest employers in each state.
The data covers fiscal years FY2025–FY2026, with FY2026 covering only Q1–Q3 (the federal fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30). Figures are annual base salaries from certified LCA filings, before tax, and exclude bonuses and stock. A certified LCA is not a visa approval, and one filing can cover more than one worker.
The headline comparison
| Worksite state | Filings | 25th pct. | Median | 75th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 177,453 | $126,131 | $161,230 | $199,500 |
| Texas | 141,087 | $91,520 | $112,923 | $140,039 |
The median California filing lists $161,230, which is $48,307 (about 43%) more than the Texas median of $112,923. The Texas median is below the median for all H-1B filings nationally ($122,699), while California's is well above it. The 25th percentile in California ($126,131) is higher than the median in Texas.
Same job, different state
The gap is larger, not smaller, when you compare the same occupation.
| Occupation | CA median | TX median | Difference | CA higher by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | $184,558 | $120,000 | $64,558 | 54% |
| Data Scientist | $164,273 | $103,813 | $60,460 | 58% |
Software engineers are the largest group in both states, with 60,109 filings in California and 53,971 in Texas. The 25th percentile for California software engineers ($155,000) is above the 75th percentile in Texas ($147,712). Data scientists show a similar pattern: 11,054 filings in California with a $164,273 median, and 8,429 in Texas with a $103,813 median.
Wage levels
Each LCA lists a prevailing wage level from I (entry) to IV (fully competent). The mix differs between the two states:
| Wage level | California share | Texas share |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | 17.8% | 16.0% |
| Level II | 37.4% | 47.3% |
| Level III | 22.8% | 19.4% |
| Level IV | 21.9% | 17.4% |
Texas filings are more concentrated at Level II (47.3% vs. 37.4%), and California has a larger share at Levels III and IV combined (44.7% vs. 36.8% in Texas). Because higher levels pay more, this explains part of California's higher median. The rest reflects different employers, roles and local prevailing wages, which the level shares alone cannot separate.
Metro areas
| California metro | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 77,460 | $178,705 |
| San Francisco, CA | 51,155 | $170,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 25,999 | $116,000 |
| San Diego, CA | 9,256 | $131,000 |
| Sacramento, CA | 4,179 | $121,451 |
| Riverside, CA | 2,818 | $100,000 |
| Texas metro | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 81,487 | $112,923 |
| Austin, TX | 30,625 | $130,000 |
| Houston, TX | 20,135 | $105,976 |
| San Antonio, TX | 3,994 | $100,024 |
| College Station, TX | 769 | $85,840 |
| El Paso, TX | 365 | $96,970 |
California's statewide figure is driven by the San Jose and San Francisco areas, which together account for 128,615 of the state's 177,453 filings. Outside those two metros, California medians are much closer to Texas. Los Angeles ($116,000) is only slightly above Dallas ($112,923) and below Austin ($130,000).
In Texas, Dallas is the largest metro by far, with more filings than San Jose. Austin has the highest median among Texas metros.
Top employers in each state
| California employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 10,941 | $191,000 | |
| Apple | 9,052 | $179,394 |
| Amazon | 7,184 | $178,300 |
| Meta | 6,768 | $214,032 |
| Tesla | 3,289 | $164,000 |
| NVIDIA | 3,068 | $191,469 |
| Qualcomm | 2,754 | $143,187 |
| Walmart | 2,219 | $152,148 |
| Texas employer | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 4,658 | $144,800 |
| Infosys | 3,247 | $92,581 |
| Cognizant | 3,024 | $109,886 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | 2,195 | $85,530 |
| EY | 2,155 | $141,255 |
| Deloitte | 1,933 | $139,050 |
| Fidelity Investments | 1,668 | $112,923 |
| Goldman Sachs | 1,579 | $124,400 |
The employer mix is a large part of the story. California's biggest filers are technology product companies. In Texas, the list includes IT consulting and services firms (Infosys, Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services, EY, Deloitte) and financial firms (Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs).
Amazon is the one employer near the top of both lists. Its California median ($178,300) is $33,500, or about 23%, higher than its Texas median ($144,800). That is a smaller gap than the statewide difference, which suggests that a good share of the state gap comes from which employers hire in each state.
Top occupations
| Occupation | CA filings | CA median | TX filings | TX median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 60,109 | $184,558 | 53,971 | $120,000 |
| Systems Engineer / Architect | 11,191 | $150,000 | 15,244 | $109,886 |
| Data Scientist | 11,054 | $164,273 | 8,429 | $103,813 |
| QA Engineer | 5,400 | $135,746 | 5,714 | $101,436 |
These four occupations are among the most common in both states. California's other top occupations include Electronics Engineer (median $162,347) and IT Manager ($237,141). Texas's include Programmer Analyst ($85,530) and Systems Analyst ($101,000).
In every occupation shown, California pays more at the median. The gap is largest for software engineers in dollar terms ($64,558) and smallest for QA engineers ($34,310). Systems engineer and architect roles are more common in Texas than in California (15,244 vs. 11,191 filings), which fits the larger role of consulting and services firms there.
What the comparison does not tell you
A statewide median blends many employers, cities and seniority levels. If you are weighing jobs in the two states, the most useful comparison is the same occupation, at a similar wage level, in the specific metros you are considering. The metro pages linked below go into more detail for software engineers in San Jose and Dallas.
Taxes and living costs
Texas has no state income tax; California does. All figures here are pre-tax base pay, so take-home pay differs from these numbers in both states. Housing and other living costs also differ, and this guide does not estimate them. A lower Texas salary may go further than the raw comparison suggests, but the size of that effect depends on your situation.
This guide is general information and is not legal, tax or immigration advice.
How we calculated this
We used certified H-1B LCA filings for FY2025 and FY2026 (Q1–Q3), grouped by the worksite state on each filing, and calculated medians and percentiles of annualized base wages. Metro and employer figures use the same filings. See the methodology.