Mid-level Systems Engineer / Architect salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 1,589 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $133,000 |
| 50th (median) | $139,443 |
| 75th | $150,000 |
| 90th | $180,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $110,000 | $109,554 | $121,000 | 1,410 |
| FY2021 | $116,043 | $110,926 | $130,000 | 1,148 |
| FY2022 | $116,043 | $116,043 | $130,824 | 1,156 |
| FY2023 | $122,500 | $108,347 | $135,000 | 1,125 |
| FY2024 | $137,278 | $131,144 | $165,028 | 1,456 |
| FY2025 | $139,222 | $132,579 | $145,396 | 892 |
| FY2026 | $139,444 | $139,443 | $160,000 | 697 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $139,443 is worth about $126,300 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 $139,443, 24% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Infosys | $139,443 | 265 |
| $184,000 | 94 | |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | $132,579 | 91 |
| Wipro | $139,443 | 88 |
| HCLTech | $139,443 | 59 |
| Amazon | $176,000 | 48 |
| Databricks | $140,000 | 44 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | $139,443 | 38 |
| Cognizant | $132,579 | 31 |
| TikTok | $190,000 | 29 |
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.