Network Architect salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 315 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino, Milpitas.
Also listed as: Network Engineer, Network Development Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $121,846 |
| 25th | $151,181 |
| 50th (median) | $172,000 |
| 75th | $205,000 |
| 90th | $224,295 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $126,842 | $115,378 | $151,524 | 274 |
| FY2021 | $135,150 | $122,658 | $160,535 | 215 |
| FY2022 | $152,000 | $131,133 | $175,000 | 201 |
| FY2023 | $155,106 | $138,000 | $177,320 | 145 |
| FY2024 | $169,899 | $150,446 | $194,250 | 162 |
| FY2025 | $162,000 | $150,446 | $186,736 | 179 |
| FY2026 | $186,381 | $154,000 | $218,171 | 136 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Network Architect salary of $172,000 is worth about $155,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Network Architects in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $186,110 in May 2025 (2,730 employed). The H-1B median here is $172,000, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $172,500 | 36 |
| $170,000 | 33 | |
| Cisco Systems | $186,264 | 18 |
| Juniper Networks | $150,446 | 13 |
| Microsoft | $185,075 | 10 |
| NVIDIA | $218,171 | 10 |
| Synopsys | $142,550 | 10 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company | too few | 9 |
| Palo Alto Networks | too few | 9 |
| ByteDance | too few | 7 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $121,846 | 39 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $162,000 | 112 |
| Senior · Level III | $198,283 | 67 |
| Expert · Level IV | $222,477 | 44 |
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 | $121,846 | $121,846 | 39 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $150,446 | $162,000 | 112 |
| Senior · Level III | $186,056 | $198,283 | 67 |
| Expert · Level IV | $218,171 | $222,477 | 44 |
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.