Entry-level Biochemist salary in San Jose, CA

Based on 125 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Stanford, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Saratoga.

Median salary$78,000
Middle 50%$74.8k–$82k
vs. all levels here−3%comparison median $80,000
Filings125FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $62,399 and $105,000.
PercentileSalary
10th$73,000
25th$74,755
50th (median)$78,000
75th$82,000
90th$87,855

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $70k $90k FY2020: median $64,268 (41 filings) FY2021: median $66,800 (41 filings) FY2022: median $68,238 (39 filings) FY2023: median $72,000 (27 filings) FY2024: median $73,083 (39 filings) FY2025: median $78,000 (95 filings) FY2026: median $79,000 (30 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 41 filings FY20 FY2021: 41 filings FY21 FY2022: 39 filings FY22 FY2023: 27 filings FY23 FY2024: 39 filings FY24 FY2025: 95 filings FY25 FY2026: 30 filings FY26 95
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$64,268$62,700$70,00041
FY2021$66,800$64,268$76,00041
FY2022$68,238$65,568$77,88839
FY2023$72,000$70,302$76,00027
FY2024$73,083$59,354$78,87539
FY2025$78,000$74,606$82,00095
FY2026$79,000$77,140$81,76330

Cost of living

San Jose's median entry-level Biochemist salary of $78,000 is worth about $70,600 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 $78,000, 37% lower.

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

EmployerMedianFilings
The Leland Stanford, Jr University$77,806112
Genista Biosciencestoo few6
Baylink Biosciencestoo few2
Oxford BioTherapeuticstoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
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 levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$50,149$78,000125
Mid-level · Level II$60,590$90,67644
Senior · Level III$71,053$84,87512

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.