Entry-level Lawyer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 54 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Milpitas.
Also listed as: Attorney, Associate Lawyer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $142,811 |
| 25th | $150,883 |
| 50th (median) | $163,200 |
| 75th | $225,000 |
| 90th | $225,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $122,574 | $110,864 | $153,000 | 17 |
| FY2021 | $180,000 | $137,904 | $190,000 | 18 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $136,032 | $205,000 | 20 |
| FY2023 | $140,000 | $136,947 | $183,600 | 17 |
| FY2024 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2025 | $151,840 | $143,000 | $225,000 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $166,400 | $150,883 | $225,000 | 29 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median entry-level Lawyer salary of $163,200 is worth about $147,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Lawyers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $239,200+ in May 2025 (6,040 employed). The H-1B median here is $163,200, 46% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooley | too few | 3 |
| Fenwick & West | too few | 2 |
| Fok Immigration Law, A Professional | too few | 2 |
| Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | too few | 2 |
| Innovative Legal Service, P.c. | too few | 2 |
| Magstone Law | too few | 2 |
| Paul Hastings | too few | 2 |
| Robert David Baker | too few | 2 |
| Rubrik | too few | 2 |
| Sidley Austin (US) | 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 | $163,200 | 54 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $233,627 | 46 |
| Senior · Level III | $310,000 | 10 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
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 | $150,883 | $163,200 | 54 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $205,338 | $233,627 | 46 |
| Senior · Level III | $267,946 | $310,000 | 10 |
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.