Expert Mechanical Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 397 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cupertino, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View.
Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $181,397 |
| 25th | $181,397 |
| 50th (median) | $185,869 |
| 75th | $212,000 |
| 90th | $235,980 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $161,350 | $151,653 | $186,049 | 48 |
| FY2021 | $160,885 | $150,000 | $180,000 | 148 |
| FY2022 | $170,251 | $158,391 | $189,250 | 224 |
| FY2023 | $176,106 | $164,299 | $192,000 | 147 |
| FY2024 | $173,703 | $164,299 | $192,933 | 167 |
| FY2025 | $185,869 | $181,397 | $207,800 | 227 |
| FY2026 | $190,000 | $185,869 | $217,695 | 170 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Mechanical Engineer salary of $185,869 is worth about $168,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Mechanical Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $168,030 in May 2025 (5,540 employed). The H-1B median here is $185,869, 11% 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 | $185,869 | 153 |
| Tesla | $204,821 | 25 |
| Applied Intuition | $220,000 | 15 |
| NVIDIA | $185,869 | 13 |
| Archer Aviation | $194,093 | 12 |
| Archer Aviation Operating | $181,397 | 11 |
| Nuro | $220,000 | 11 |
| Meta | $222,153 | 10 |
| Applied Materials | too few | 9 |
| General Motors Company | too few | 9 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $108,160 | 144 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $140,718 | 386 |
| Senior · Level III | $160,000 | 449 |
| Expert · Level IV | $185,869 | 397 |
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 | $105,269 | $108,160 | 144 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $128,690 | $140,718 | 386 |
| Senior · Level III | $155,043 | $160,000 | 449 |
| Expert · Level IV | $185,869 | $185,869 | 397 |
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.