Interpreter salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 19 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cupertino, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Stanford.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $77,446 |
| 25th | $87,931 |
| 50th (median) | $118,500 |
| 75th | $151,380 |
| 90th | $198,080 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2021 | $80,000 | $64,522 | $133,800 | 15 |
| FY2022 | $71,698 | $67,226 | $79,664 | 13 |
| FY2023 | $121,930 | $96,193 | $200,000 | 11 |
| FY2024 | $78,042 | $65,092 | $99,850 | 16 |
| FY2025 | $93,000 | $79,932 | $151,230 | 12 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 7 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Interpreter salary of $118,500 is worth about $107,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Interpreters and Translators in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $101,530 in May 2025 (300 employed). The H-1B median here is $118,500, 17% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | too few | 5 |
| OKBL USA Technology | too few | 4 |
| Crazy Maple Studio | too few | 2 |
| Stanford Health Care | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | – | 0 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 5 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.