Computer Hardware Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 1,087 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Palo Alto.
Also listed as: Hardware Development Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $147,760 |
| 25th | $166,525 |
| 50th (median) | $190,000 |
| 75th | $215,900 |
| 90th | $235,400 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $131,000 | $166,750 | 570 |
| FY2021 | $156,800 | $135,000 | $174,000 | 493 |
| FY2022 | $173,200 | $154,000 | $189,000 | 633 |
| FY2023 | $184,163 | $160,000 | $202,965 | 463 |
| FY2024 | $180,000 | $163,000 | $204,500 | 479 |
| FY2025 | $187,000 | $165,927 | $212,500 | 583 |
| FY2026 | $195,000 | $176,696 | $228,850 | 504 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Computer Hardware Engineer salary of $190,000 is worth about $172,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Hardware Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $209,860 in May 2025 (7,940 employed). The H-1B median here is $190,000, 9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| $189,000 | 394 | |
| Amazon | $177,100 | 123 |
| Meta | $205,385 | 73 |
| Intel | $135,549 | 43 |
| Microsoft | $205,000 | 39 |
| Annapurna Labs (U.S.) | $210,000 | 36 |
| Tesla | $255,000 | 36 |
| Apple | $183,914 | 31 |
| NVIDIA | $184,000 | 17 |
| Tenstorrent | $203,133 | 17 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $150,238 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $182,750 | 286 |
| Senior · Level III | $209,410 | 212 |
| Expert · Level IV | $230,000 | 181 |
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 | $150,238 | $150,238 | 74 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $166,525 | $182,750 | 286 |
| Senior · Level III | $191,048 | $209,410 | 212 |
| Expert · Level IV | $229,590 | $230,000 | 181 |
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.