Senior Accountant salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 137 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $128,000 |
| 25th | $130,916 |
| 50th (median) | $149,500 |
| 75th | $166,500 |
| 90th | $179,321 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $118,000 | $98,842 | $130,000 | 89 |
| FY2021 | $111,887 | $102,918 | $128,625 | 100 |
| FY2022 | $128,000 | $105,000 | $140,000 | 119 |
| FY2023 | $138,000 | $120,375 | $158,400 | 107 |
| FY2024 | $142,789 | $125,991 | $159,500 | 98 |
| FY2025 | $150,000 | $132,000 | $166,000 | 97 |
| FY2026 | $147,369 | $129,945 | $168,750 | 40 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Accountant salary of $149,500 is worth about $135,400 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 $149,500, 23% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| EY | $160,536 | 60 |
| Amazon | too few | 8 |
| Bdo | too few | 6 |
| Cbiz Mag | too few | 5 |
| too few | 4 | |
| PwC | too few | 4 |
| Kpmg | too few | 4 |
| PwC US Tax | too few | 4 |
| Apple | too few | 3 |
| Azazie | too few | 2 |
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.