Expert Electrical Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 278 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto.
Also listed as: Electrical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $213,595 |
| 25th | $217,630 |
| 50th (median) | $220,000 |
| 75th | $246,875 |
| 90th | $270,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $175,000 | $159,963 | $190,000 | 96 |
| FY2021 | $180,171 | $170,000 | $200,000 | 173 |
| FY2022 | $194,417 | $180,000 | $215,000 | 209 |
| FY2023 | $192,262 | $174,250 | $210,000 | 170 |
| FY2024 | $230,000 | $225,451 | $253,149 | 52 |
| FY2025 | $217,630 | $213,595 | $245,000 | 149 |
| FY2026 | $220,184 | $217,630 | $252,000 | 129 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Electrical Engineer salary of $220,000 is worth about $199,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Electrical Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $187,060 in May 2025 (4,160 employed). The H-1B median here is $220,000, 18% 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 | $217,630 | 62 |
| Meta | $227,000 | 35 |
| Microsoft | $254,000 | 24 |
| Tesla | $227,900 | 18 |
| Astera Labs | $217,630 | 12 |
| Also | too few | 9 |
| General Motors Company | too few | 5 |
| too few | 4 | |
| Micron | too few | 4 |
| Archer Aviation | 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 | $135,000 | 166 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $160,160 | 347 |
| Senior · Level III | $198,720 | 305 |
| Expert · Level IV | $220,000 | 278 |
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 | $131,019 | $135,000 | 166 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $159,890 | $160,160 | 347 |
| Senior · Level III | $188,760 | $198,720 | 305 |
| Expert · Level IV | $217,630 | $220,000 | 278 |
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.