Mid-level Graphic Designer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 90 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $90,938 |
| 25th | $93,600 |
| 50th (median) | $132,750 |
| 75th | $139,000 |
| 90th | $167,460 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $114,700 | $75,600 | $129,650 | 90 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $91,181 | $137,250 | 76 |
| FY2022 | $128,029 | $68,000 | $157,000 | 85 |
| FY2023 | $124,000 | $77,750 | $141,000 | 61 |
| FY2024 | $127,000 | $85,700 | $140,300 | 47 |
| FY2025 | $136,565 | $111,000 | $139,000 | 51 |
| FY2026 | $117,400 | $92,000 | $138,260 | 39 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Graphic Designer salary of $132,750 is worth about $120,200 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 $132,750, 36% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $137,600 | 25 |
| $139,000 | 15 | |
| Apple | too few | 7 |
| too few | 6 | |
| Intuit | too few | 4 |
| NVIDIA | too few | 3 |
| Bolster | too few | 2 |
| Kumo.ai | too few | 2 |
| Matic Robots | too few | 2 |
| SharedTable | 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.