Systems Engineer / Architect salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 4,581 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino, Palo Alto.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $132,579 |
| 25th | $139,443 |
| 50th (median) | $169,306 |
| 75th | $201,323 |
| 90th | $223,142 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $126,944 | $109,554 | $150,000 | 2,881 |
| FY2021 | $137,363 | $114,400 | $163,800 | 2,922 |
| FY2022 | $142,438 | $116,043 | $169,000 | 3,052 |
| FY2023 | $143,000 | $116,262 | $176,833 | 2,779 |
| FY2024 | $170,914 | $132,579 | $196,530 | 3,855 |
| FY2025 | $166,962 | $132,579 | $199,383 | 2,537 |
| FY2026 | $181,293 | $140,000 | $216,200 | 2,044 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $169,306 is worth about $153,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Systems Engineers/Architects in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $184,430 in May 2025 (16,680 employed). The H-1B median here is $169,306, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Infosys | $139,443 | 351 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | $166,962 | 325 |
| Apple | $194,663 | 309 |
| $203,500 | 270 | |
| Amazon | $194,497 | 182 |
| Cognizant | $166,962 | 134 |
| Cisco Systems | $166,962 | 134 |
| Walmart | $174,128 | 122 |
| TikTok | $224,200 | 115 |
| HCLTech | $149,594 | 111 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $98,265 | 366 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $139,443 | 1,589 |
| Senior · Level III | $181,293 | 1,064 |
| Expert · Level IV | $223,142 | 860 |
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 | $98,218 | $98,265 | 366 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $139,443 | $139,443 | 1,589 |
| Senior · Level III | $181,293 | $181,293 | 1,064 |
| Expert · Level IV | $223,142 | $223,142 | 860 |
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.