Expert Backend Developer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 50 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Cupertino.
Median salary$257,257
Middle 50%$226.2k–$299.9k
vs. all levels here+37%comparison median $187,741
Filings50FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$150k$175k$200k$225k$250k$275k$300k$325k$350k$375k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $226,158 |
| 25th | $226,158 |
| 50th (median) | $257,257 |
| 75th | $299,853 |
| 90th | $326,500 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $175,900 | $172,640 | $205,750 | 32 |
| FY2021 | $187,500 | $179,800 | $210,800 | 40 |
| FY2022 | $217,300 | $192,985 | $240,000 | 56 |
| FY2023 | $217,600 | $204,098 | $257,930 | 40 |
| FY2024 | $259,074 | $226,158 | $301,724 | 24 |
| FY2025 | $235,000 | $226,158 | $264,514 | 37 |
| FY2026 | $264,514 | $264,514 | $312,000 | 13 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Backend Developer salary of $257,257 is worth about $233,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Coupang Global | $226,158 | 14 |
| TikTok | $300,000 | 13 |
| ByteDance | too few | 9 |
| Apple | too few | 2 |
| Amlogic (USA) | 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 | $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.