Expert Industrial Designer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 40 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Santa Clara.
Also listed as: Technical Designer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $163,571 |
| 25th | $172,783 |
| 50th (median) | $179,000 |
| 75th | $198,470 |
| 90th | $217,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $130,760 | $111,592 | $167,500 | 23 |
| FY2021 | $154,000 | $127,500 | $190,000 | 23 |
| FY2022 | $152,500 | $133,030 | $177,800 | 18 |
| FY2023 | $148,900 | $130,749 | $204,000 | 13 |
| FY2024 | $170,350 | $145,933 | $199,800 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $176,900 | $169,915 | $195,500 | 28 |
| FY2026 | $192,200 | $178,525 | $206,725 | 12 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Industrial Designer salary of $179,000 is worth about $162,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Commercial and Industrial Designers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $141,310 in May 2025 (410 employed). The H-1B median here is $179,000, 27% 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 | $179,000 | 19 |
| too few | 4 | |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations | too few | 4 |
| Microsoft | too few | 2 |
| Samsung Research America | 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 | $85,000 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $147,000 | 45 |
| Senior · Level III | $160,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $179,000 | 40 |
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 | $83,699 | $85,000 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $110,323 | $147,000 | 45 |
| Senior · Level III | $123,760 | $160,000 | 21 |
| Expert · Level IV | $163,571 | $179,000 | 40 |
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.