Senior Materials Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 131 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $144,664 |
| 25th | $144,664 |
| 50th (median) | $155,251 |
| 75th | $157,239 |
| 90th | $165,574 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,830 | $118,471 | $137,561 | 60 |
| FY2021 | $125,000 | $112,965 | $137,224 | 86 |
| FY2022 | $131,461 | $119,870 | $140,382 | 103 |
| FY2023 | $134,514 | $134,514 | $140,005 | 67 |
| FY2024 | $140,217 | $136,739 | $145,700 | 68 |
| FY2025 | $144,664 | $144,664 | $155,000 | 81 |
| FY2026 | $156,000 | $155,251 | $161,351 | 50 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Materials Engineer salary of $155,251 is worth about $140,600 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 $155,251, 1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $144,664 | 32 |
| Applied Materials | $155,915 | 24 |
| Intel | $144,664 | 17 |
| Headway Technologies | $162,919 | 12 |
| Western Digital Technologies | $155,251 | 12 |
| Kla | too few | 8 |
| Asml | too few | 4 |
| QuantumScape Battery | too few | 4 |
| Align Technology | too few | 2 |
| Nokia of 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 | $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.