Chemical Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 105 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Stanford.
Also listed as: Process Engineer
Median salary$150,000
Middle 50%$129k–$164.2k
vs. national median+26%comparison median $118,700
Filings105FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
National median
$100k$110k$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k$170k$180k$190k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $112,000 |
| 25th | $129,000 |
| 50th (median) | $150,000 |
| 75th | $164,172 |
| 90th | $178,651 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $117,000 | $100,000 | $131,625 | 41 |
| FY2021 | $125,000 | $100,311 | $138,889 | 50 |
| FY2022 | $130,100 | $110,000 | $154,500 | 47 |
| FY2023 | $138,900 | $122,862 | $155,106 | 39 |
| FY2024 | $136,650 | $113,963 | $152,562 | 36 |
| FY2025 | $143,100 | $124,800 | $160,000 | 62 |
| FY2026 | $151,070 | $148,154 | $166,700 | 43 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Chemical Engineer salary of $150,000 is worth about $135,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Materials | $153,483 | 29 |
| Tesla | $154,500 | 12 |
| Apple | too few | 8 |
| Western Digital Technologies | too few | 7 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | too few | 6 |
| QuantumScape Battery | too few | 5 |
| Kla | too few | 2 |
| Sandisk Technologies | too few | 2 |
| TriCom Quest | too few | 2 |
| Universal Fuel Technologies | 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 | too few | 5 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $120,000 | 22 |
| Senior · Level III | $151,070 | 43 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,651 | 26 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $110,781 | $120,000 | 22 |
| Senior · Level III | $129,085 | $151,070 | 43 |
| Expert · Level IV | $147,389 | $178,651 | 26 |
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.