Entry-level Electronics Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 372 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Palo Alto.
Also listed as: Hardware Engineer, Hardware Engineer Electronics
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $124,197 |
| 25th | $124,197 |
| 50th (median) | $127,234 |
| 75th | $134,075 |
| 90th | $147,024 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $93,000 | $88,691 | $105,000 | 141 |
| FY2021 | $100,152 | $95,000 | $105,000 | 153 |
| FY2022 | $105,000 | $100,152 | $115,000 | 159 |
| FY2023 | $110,000 | $101,026 | $121,236 | 128 |
| FY2024 | $119,309 | $105,000 | $129,531 | 160 |
| FY2025 | $124,197 | $124,197 | $132,000 | 219 |
| FY2026 | $127,234 | $127,234 | $137,750 | 153 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median entry-level Electronics Engineer salary of $127,234 is worth about $115,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Electronics Engineers, Except Computer in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $194,370 in May 2025 (5,970 employed). The H-1B median here is $127,234, 35% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| OmniVision Technologies | $124,197 | 34 |
| Sandisk Technologies | $127,234 | 29 |
| Apple | $128,588 | 21 |
| Nxp | $141,923 | 20 |
| Xilinx | $131,250 | 17 |
| TSMC Technology | $124,197 | 16 |
| Marvell Semiconductor | $127,234 | 15 |
| Advanced Micro Devices | $134,500 | 14 |
| Microchip Technology | too few | 9 |
| Neetha Consulting | too few | 8 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $127,234 | 372 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $156,853 | 901 |
| Senior · Level III | $186,472 | 733 |
| Expert · Level IV | $216,091 | 1,322 |
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 | $124,197 | $127,234 | 372 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $156,853 | $156,853 | 901 |
| Senior · Level III | $186,472 | $186,472 | 733 |
| Expert · Level IV | $216,091 | $216,091 | 1,322 |
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.