Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 301 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Stanford, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $76,000 |
| 25th | $79,791 |
| 50th (median) | $86,091 |
| 75th | $112,000 |
| 90th | $143,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $72,600 | $64,268 | $95,786 | 139 |
| FY2021 | $76,877 | $66,419 | $110,032 | 135 |
| FY2022 | $90,000 | $72,000 | $110,880 | 129 |
| FY2023 | $81,306 | $70,791 | $110,000 | 167 |
| FY2024 | $80,000 | $75,017 | $108,654 | 165 |
| FY2025 | $86,091 | $78,515 | $112,617 | 187 |
| FY2026 | $85,697 | $79,802 | $110,843 | 114 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Molecular and Cellular Biologist salary of $86,091 is worth about $78,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Molecular and Cellular Biologists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $133,790 in May 2025 (610 employed). The H-1B median here is $86,091, 36% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| The Leland Stanford, Jr University | $81,880 | 192 |
| Arc Research Institute | $105,000 | 27 |
| Guardant Health | too few | 9 |
| Zifo Technologies | too few | 5 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | too few | 4 |
| Roche Sequencing Solutions | too few | 4 |
| Dnanexus | too few | 3 |
| Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research | too few | 3 |
| Takara Bio | too few | 3 |
| Atila BioSystems | 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 | $80,250 | 190 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $105,000 | 71 |
| Senior · Level III | $144,394 | 25 |
| Expert · Level IV | $167,877 | 13 |
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 | $71,635 | $80,250 | 190 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,384 | $105,000 | 71 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,651 | $144,394 | 25 |
| Expert · Level IV | $167,149 | $167,877 | 13 |
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.