Expert Materials Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 78 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Milpitas, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $169,853 |
| 25th | $175,800 |
| 50th (median) | $178,797 |
| 75th | $181,323 |
| 90th | $203,562 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $160,000 | $147,750 | $172,876 | 31 |
| FY2021 | $160,000 | $147,944 | $169,671 | 31 |
| FY2022 | $169,244 | $151,070 | $180,000 | 44 |
| FY2023 | $162,473 | $155,314 | $179,000 | 25 |
| FY2024 | $170,700 | $160,748 | $181,991 | 31 |
| FY2025 | $174,950 | $169,853 | $181,100 | 38 |
| FY2026 | $180,834 | $178,797 | $186,957 | 40 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Materials Engineer salary of $178,797 is worth about $161,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Materials Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $156,730 in May 2025 (550 employed). The H-1B median here is $178,797, 14% 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 | $181,100 | 30 |
| Applied Materials | $180,568 | 19 |
| Sandisk Technologies | too few | 6 |
| QuantumScape Battery | too few | 5 |
| Headway Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Kla | too few | 2 |
| Western Digital Technologies | 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 | $95,450 | 25 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $137,925 | 84 |
| Senior · Level III | $155,251 | 131 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,797 | 78 |
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 | $94,307 | $95,450 | 25 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $119,496 | $137,925 | 84 |
| Senior · Level III | $144,664 | $155,251 | 131 |
| Expert · Level IV | $178,797 | $178,797 | 78 |
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.