Senior Civil Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 25 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino, Milpitas, Sunnyvale.
Also listed as: Structural Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $130,600 |
| 25th | $135,013 |
| 50th (median) | $137,800 |
| 75th | $188,210 |
| 90th | $193,690 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 2 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2022 | $124,500 | $120,000 | $135,200 | 14 |
| FY2023 | $132,896 | $120,886 | $149,148 | 10 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2025 | $156,600 | $132,706 | $188,210 | 18 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 7 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Civil Engineer salary of $137,800 is worth about $124,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Civil Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $130,280 in May 2025 (3,170 employed). The H-1B median here is $137,800, 6% higher.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | too few | 3 |
| Amazon | too few | 2 |
| HDR Engineering | too few | 2 |
| T J K M | 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 | $92,468 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $116,600 | 52 |
| Senior · Level III | $137,800 | 25 |
| 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 | $88,213 | $92,468 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $108,930 | $116,600 | 52 |
| Senior · Level III | $129,667 | $137,800 | 25 |
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.