Entry-level HR Specialist salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 21 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Recruiter
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $68,474 |
| 25th | $70,000 |
| 50th (median) | $74,000 |
| 75th | $88,000 |
| 90th | $113,680 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2024 | $70,000 | $63,814 | $80,580 | 15 |
| FY2025 | $69,237 | $68,474 | $77,222 | 10 |
| FY2026 | $87,360 | $73,556 | $113,340 | 11 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median entry-level HR Specialist salary of $74,000 is worth about $67,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Human Resources Specialists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $112,140 in May 2025 (7,970 employed). The H-1B median here is $74,000, 34% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ByteDance | too few | 3 |
| iHealth Labs | 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 | $74,000 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $107,900 | 28 |
| Senior · Level III | $135,000 | 23 |
| Expert · Level IV | $168,000 | 42 |
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 | $73,112 | $74,000 | 21 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $91,437 | $107,900 | 28 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,862 | $135,000 | 23 |
| Expert · Level IV | $150,738 | $168,000 | 42 |
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.