Senior Network Administrator salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 81 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $131,934 |
| 25th | $131,934 |
| 50th (median) | $139,443 |
| 75th | $157,288 |
| 90th | $176,500 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $116,472 | $115,669 | $124,848 | 50 |
| FY2021 | $134,632 | $121,451 | $141,813 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $135,200 | $134,640 | $146,319 | 43 |
| FY2023 | $147,319 | $135,200 | $154,250 | 22 |
| FY2024 | $151,195 | $144,600 | $152,750 | 32 |
| FY2025 | $139,443 | $139,443 | $160,622 | 46 |
| FY2026 | $131,934 | $131,934 | $152,048 | 35 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Network Administrator salary of $139,443 is worth about $126,300 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 $139,443, 5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems | $147,800 | 13 |
| Cohesity | too few | 8 |
| too few | 6 | |
| Fortinet | too few | 5 |
| Nokia of America | too few | 3 |
| Tesla | too few | 3 |
| Cognizant | too few | 2 |
| Applied Materials | too few | 2 |
| DrFirst.com | too few | 2 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations | 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 | $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.