Senior Electrical Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 305 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $185,130 |
| 25th | $188,760 |
| 50th (median) | $198,720 |
| 75th | $215,762 |
| 90th | $236,360 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $135,000 | $168,162 | 232 |
| FY2021 | $154,500 | $142,000 | $170,000 | 262 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $155,000 | $179,820 | 271 |
| FY2023 | $160,600 | $150,000 | $180,050 | 245 |
| FY2024 | $199,781 | $185,120 | $215,000 | 144 |
| FY2025 | $196,428 | $186,278 | $211,156 | 186 |
| FY2026 | $200,000 | $188,760 | $220,375 | 119 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Electrical Engineer salary of $198,720 is worth about $180,000 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 $198,720, 6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | $214,057 | 66 |
| Rivian | $210,000 | 29 |
| Tesla | $220,000 | 25 |
| Mirafra | $188,800 | 21 |
| $210,000 | 20 | |
| Apple | $188,760 | 17 |
| Archer Aviation | too few | 9 |
| Meta | too few | 8 |
| Nokia of America | too few | 6 |
| Texas Instruments Incorporated | too few | 6 |
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.