Mid-level Chemical Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 22 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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$120,000
Middle 50%$112.7k–$129k
vs. all levels here−20%comparison median $150,000
Filings22FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years
Salary range
All levels here
$100k$110k$120k$130k$140k$150k$160k
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $110,781 |
| 25th | $112,681 |
| 50th (median) | $120,000 |
| 75th | $128,978 |
| 90th | $148,393 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $100,000 | $93,912 | $105,400 | 13 |
| FY2021 | $105,000 | $97,000 | $122,000 | 15 |
| FY2022 | $110,000 | $108,638 | $120,000 | 13 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2024 | $113,527 | $112,653 | $120,994 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $116,566 | $112,000 | $123,600 | 14 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 8 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Chemical Engineer salary of $120,000 is worth about $108,700 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Materials | too few | 3 |
| Tesla | too few | 3 |
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | too few | 3 |
| QuantumScape Battery | 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.