Expert Accountant salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 147 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Mountain View, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Auditor, Tax Accountant
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $146,037 |
| 25th | $150,000 |
| 50th (median) | $153,000 |
| 75th | $181,750 |
| 90th | $211,600 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $130,000 | $109,375 | $145,000 | 92 |
| FY2021 | $125,000 | $113,870 | $150,000 | 67 |
| FY2022 | $136,000 | $120,765 | $162,748 | 114 |
| FY2023 | $147,900 | $132,787 | $177,000 | 89 |
| FY2024 | $154,052 | $137,030 | $195,000 | 78 |
| FY2025 | $152,152 | $146,037 | $181,000 | 85 |
| FY2026 | $156,250 | $152,152 | $182,125 | 62 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Accountant salary of $153,000 is worth about $138,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Accountants and Auditors in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $121,700 in May 2025 (13,180 employed). The H-1B median here is $153,000, 26% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Deloitte | $152,152 | 37 |
| EY | $203,500 | 12 |
| PwC | too few | 9 |
| Kpmg | too few | 7 |
| Apple | too few | 6 |
| Netflix | too few | 6 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 4 |
| PwC US Tax | too few | 4 |
| too few | 3 | |
| Applied Materials | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $87,200 | 176 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,000 | 252 |
| Senior · Level III | $149,500 | 137 |
| Expert · Level IV | $153,000 | 147 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $79,498 | $87,200 | 176 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $101,670 | $109,000 | 252 |
| Senior · Level III | $123,864 | $149,500 | 137 |
| Expert · Level IV | $146,037 | $153,000 | 147 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.