Backend Developer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 390 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Cupertino.
Median salary$187,741
Middle 50%$149.1k–$226.2k
vs. national median+16%comparison median $161,568
Filings390FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k$250k$275k$300k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $126,969 |
| 25th | $149,122 |
| 50th (median) | $187,741 |
| 75th | $226,158 |
| 90th | $264,514 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $145,000 | $122,408 | $160,000 | 137 |
| FY2021 | $160,000 | $125,000 | $180,000 | 142 |
| FY2022 | $164,000 | $139,060 | $191,471 | 195 |
| FY2023 | $188,000 | $159,125 | $215,750 | 146 |
| FY2024 | $184,662 | $154,680 | $220,000 | 221 |
| FY2025 | $186,371 | $146,307 | $226,158 | 242 |
| FY2026 | $187,761 | $149,661 | $230,500 | 148 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Backend Developer salary of $187,741 is worth about $170,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | $220,000 | 95 |
| ByteDance | $206,000 | 63 |
| Ryzlink | $101,254 | 20 |
| Coupang Global | $226,158 | 19 |
| Zoom Communications | $149,041 | 13 |
| Tinder | $220,000 | 12 |
| Atlassian | $199,534 | 10 |
| BILL Operations | too few | 7 |
| Comcast | too few | 4 |
| Mobileye | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $149,365 | 96 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $188,840 | 112 |
| Senior · Level III | $230,750 | 56 |
| Expert · Level IV | $257,257 | 50 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.