Expert Graphic Designer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 109 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $143,340 |
| 25th | $150,000 |
| 50th (median) | $178,000 |
| 75th | $200,000 |
| 90th | $230,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $130,000 | $90,000 | $161,750 | 51 |
| FY2021 | $141,200 | $90,438 | $175,000 | 66 |
| FY2022 | $149,500 | $116,480 | $177,856 | 74 |
| FY2023 | $163,620 | $130,606 | $194,500 | 50 |
| FY2024 | $183,500 | $162,693 | $207,500 | 54 |
| FY2025 | $176,717 | $145,000 | $198,400 | 73 |
| FY2026 | $184,250 | $155,250 | $202,750 | 36 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Graphic Designer salary of $178,000 is worth about $161,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Graphic Designers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $97,360 in May 2025 (1,280 employed). The H-1B median here is $178,000, 83% 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 | $146,910 | 22 |
| $217,500 | 16 | |
| Rubrik | $165,000 | 10 |
| Intuit | too few | 6 |
| Amazon | too few | 5 |
| TikTok | too few | 4 |
| too few | 4 | |
| OKC USA Holding | too few | 4 |
| OKBL USA Technology | too few | 3 |
| Meta | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $87,840 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $132,750 | 90 |
| Senior · Level III | $159,000 | 77 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,000 | 109 |
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 | $60,736 | $87,840 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $81,890 | $132,750 | 90 |
| Senior · Level III | $103,064 | $159,000 | 77 |
| Expert · Level IV | $124,218 | $178,000 | 109 |
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.