Expert Network Administrator salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 99 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Milpitas, Palo Alto.
Also listed as: Systems Administrator
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $156,291 |
| 25th | $163,010 |
| 50th (median) | $170,000 |
| 75th | $193,750 |
| 90th | $216,008 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $144,269 | $136,427 | $154,271 | 36 |
| FY2021 | $151,943 | $144,269 | $161,700 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $175,500 | $166,316 | $202,500 | 27 |
| FY2023 | $165,000 | $160,139 | $180,253 | 29 |
| FY2024 | $180,253 | $180,253 | $188,753 | 21 |
| FY2025 | $165,000 | $163,010 | $182,200 | 47 |
| FY2026 | $173,850 | $156,666 | $204,100 | 52 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Network Administrator salary of $170,000 is worth about $154,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Network and Computer Systems Administrators in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $133,360 in May 2025 (2,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $170,000, 27% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | too few | 7 |
| Apple | too few | 4 |
| eBay | too few | 4 |
| too few | 4 | |
| Bloom Energy | too few | 4 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 4 |
| Fortinet | too few | 4 |
| Yahoo Holdings | too few | 4 |
| TikTok | too few | 3 |
| Crusoe Energy Systems | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $92,290 | 53 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $115,856 | 203 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,443 | 81 |
| Expert · Level IV | $170,000 | 99 |
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 | $83,221 | $92,290 | 53 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $107,578 | $115,856 | 203 |
| Senior · Level III | $131,934 | $139,443 | 81 |
| Expert · Level IV | $156,291 | $170,000 | 99 |
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.