Senior Computer Hardware Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 212 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $192,000 |
| 25th | $202,076 |
| 50th (median) | $209,410 |
| 75th | $220,114 |
| 90th | $239,730 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $164,800 | $154,925 | $180,000 | 182 |
| FY2021 | $179,566 | $167,750 | $193,250 | 108 |
| FY2022 | $190,000 | $180,000 | $200,000 | 170 |
| FY2023 | $195,000 | $188,000 | $209,165 | 124 |
| FY2024 | $200,500 | $192,797 | $212,000 | 119 |
| FY2025 | $206,350 | $199,775 | $218,967 | 148 |
| FY2026 | $215,000 | $203,960 | $222,750 | 64 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Computer Hardware Engineer salary of $209,410 is worth about $189,600 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 $209,410, 0% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| $213,000 | 88 | |
| Amazon | $202,200 | 25 |
| Microsoft | $219,584 | 18 |
| Meta | $210,000 | 11 |
| Tesla | too few | 9 |
| Annapurna Labs (U.S.) | too few | 8 |
| Groq | too few | 5 |
| Intel | too few | 4 |
| Mobileye | too few | 4 |
| Tenstorrent | too few | 4 |
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.