Biochemist salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 184 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Stanford, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Saratoga.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $73,933 |
| 25th | $75,413 |
| 50th (median) | $80,000 |
| 75th | $87,175 |
| 90th | $119,668 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $70,000 | $64,000 | $91,500 | 62 |
| FY2021 | $75,192 | $64,268 | $93,000 | 70 |
| FY2022 | $72,000 | $66,888 | $99,502 | 84 |
| FY2023 | $75,560 | $71,650 | $95,000 | 69 |
| FY2024 | $79,045 | $73,083 | $89,813 | 70 |
| FY2025 | $79,901 | $74,874 | $85,000 | 130 |
| FY2026 | $82,375 | $77,714 | $100,000 | 54 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Biochemist salary of $80,000 is worth about $72,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $124,050 in May 2025 (190 employed). The H-1B median here is $80,000, 36% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | $79,535 | 146 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | too few | 7 |
| Genista Biosciences | too few | 6 |
| Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research | too few | 5 |
| Oxford BioTherapeutics | too few | 3 |
| Agilent Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Arc Research Institute | too few | 2 |
| Baylink Biosciences | too few | 2 |
| Bridgene Biosciences | 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 | $78,000 | 125 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $90,676 | 44 |
| Senior · Level III | $84,875 | 12 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
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 | $50,149 | $78,000 | 125 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $60,590 | $90,676 | 44 |
| Senior · Level III | $71,053 | $84,875 | 12 |
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.