Senior Graphic Designer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 77 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $110,660 |
| 25th | $120,000 |
| 50th (median) | $159,000 |
| 75th | $185,000 |
| 90th | $197,450 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $139,452 | $100,750 | $161,500 | 98 |
| FY2021 | $149,000 | $120,737 | $170,500 | 83 |
| FY2022 | $144,775 | $135,000 | $165,000 | 104 |
| FY2023 | $156,500 | $111,442 | $175,450 | 56 |
| FY2024 | $160,000 | $135,000 | $183,100 | 57 |
| FY2025 | $165,467 | $122,982 | $192,250 | 58 |
| FY2026 | $154,000 | $130,000 | $168,258 | 19 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Graphic Designer salary of $159,000 is worth about $144,000 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 $159,000, 63% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| $176,000 | 15 | |
| Amazon | $185,400 | 13 |
| Apple | $115,100 | 11 |
| Intuit | too few | 9 |
| Adobe | too few | 5 |
| too few | 3 | |
| Telenav | too few | 2 |
| Yahoo Holdings | 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.