Engineering Director salary
From 4,103 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 11-9041: Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Also filed as: Architectural and Engineering Manager, Manager Hardware Engineering
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 36% of Engineering Director filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Intel. 284 filings (7% of the total), median $196,747.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $161,450 in Detroit, MI to $220,059 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 27% since FY2020. From $149,113 in FY2020 to $189,659 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Engineering Director H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 4,103 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Engineering Director jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 11-9041, Architectural and Engineering Managers). The median base salary is $182,728, 49% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $152,974 and $216,902. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 36% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (720), and Intel is the employer that files the most (284).
Is your Engineering Director offer competitive?
Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Engineering Director jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
Enter a salary to see where it falls.
Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Engineering Director
Intel284 filings · 7%$196,747
NVIDIA248 filings · 6%$224,000
Apple139 filings · 3%$213,512
Meta101 filings · 2%$249,205
Fca61 filings · 1%$159,348
Lucid Motors58 filings · 1%$185,910
Applied Materials48 filings · 1%$197,784
Ford43 filings · 1%$172,994
Asml43 filings · 1%$169,875
Qualcomm40 filings · 1%$171,200
Employers with the most Engineering Director filings. Bar: share of all Engineering Director filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 17% of filings
Mid-level · 36% of filings
Senior · 24% of filings
Expert · 24% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $137,558 | 604 |
| Level II · Qualified | $167,700 | 1,321 |
| Level III · Experienced | $194,896 | 857 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $223,808 | 861 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Engineering Director pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 46 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Engineering Director does
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in these fields.
Typical tasks
- Manage the coordination and overall integration of technical activities in architecture or engineering projects.
- Direct, review, or approve project design changes.
- Consult or negotiate with clients to prepare project specifications.
- Prepare budgets, bids, or contracts.
- Present and explain proposals, reports, or findings to clients.
- Confer with management, production, or marketing staff to discuss project specifications or procedures.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Architectural and Engineering Managers (11-9041.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Architectural and Engineering Managers), the median annual wage was $171,270 in May 2025, with 220,260 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $182,728, 7% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $133,153 | $120,810 |
| 25th percentile | $152,974 | $139,360 |
| Median | $182,728 | $171,270 |
| 75th percentile | $216,902 | $212,500 |
| 90th percentile | $250,000 | $239,200+ |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $133,153 |
| 25th | $152,974 |
| 50th (median) | $182,728 |
| 75th | $216,902 |
| 90th | $250,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $149,113 | $123,575 | $175,586 | 1,585 |
| FY2021 | $151,348 | $128,501 | $186,493 | 1,587 |
| FY2022 | $155,516 | $131,560 | $190,008 | 1,989 |
| FY2023 | $162,864 | $136,490 | $195,000 | 1,733 |
| FY2024 | $168,698 | $138,757 | $202,842 | 1,932 |
| FY2025 | $179,424 | $149,947 | $212,742 | 2,299 |
| FY2026 | $189,659 | $158,891 | $220,920 | 1,804 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Engineering Director make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Engineering Director jobs is $182,728 (4,103 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $152,974 and $216,902.
What does an entry-level Engineering Director earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $137,558. Level I accounts for 17% of Engineering Director filings.
Which city pays H-1B Engineering Directors the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Engineering Director jobs: $220,059 (720 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Engineering Directors?
Intel (284), NVIDIA (248) and Apple (139) filed the most Engineering Director LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Engineering Directors earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($182,728) is 7% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($171,270, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.