Expert Systems Engineer / Architect salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 860 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $201,323 |
| 25th | $201,323 |
| 50th (median) | $223,142 |
| 75th | $235,593 |
| 90th | $267,100 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $163,800 | $163,530 | $180,000 | 362 |
| FY2021 | $170,000 | $163,800 | $187,000 | 475 |
| FY2022 | $179,400 | $168,834 | $198,093 | 637 |
| FY2023 | $188,000 | $172,536 | $214,250 | 576 |
| FY2024 | $211,200 | $210,704 | $231,684 | 563 |
| FY2025 | $202,000 | $201,323 | $227,620 | 476 |
| FY2026 | $223,142 | $223,142 | $246,100 | 384 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $223,142 is worth about $202,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer 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 $223,142, 21% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $201,323 | 101 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | $223,142 | 73 |
| $257,000 | 61 | |
| NVIDIA | $223,142 | 44 |
| Cognizant | $223,142 | 33 |
| TikTok | $274,300 | 26 |
| Amazon | $231,200 | 23 |
| HCLTech | $212,746 | 19 |
| Meta | $256,101 | 16 |
| Microsoft | $239,843 | 16 |
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.