Expert Network Architect salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 44 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $218,171 |
| 25th | $218,171 |
| 50th (median) | $222,477 |
| 75th | $244,856 |
| 90th | $267,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $176,072 | $142,309 | $182,146 | 40 |
| FY2021 | $189,384 | $182,146 | $225,000 | 24 |
| FY2022 | $210,400 | $191,250 | $233,148 | 26 |
| FY2023 | $223,903 | $212,736 | $242,190 | 10 |
| FY2024 | $235,851 | $224,178 | $249,170 | 11 |
| FY2025 | $222,477 | $222,477 | $236,250 | 12 |
| FY2026 | $222,000 | $218,171 | $244,856 | 32 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Network Architect salary of $222,477 is worth about $201,500 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 $222,477, 20% 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 | 9 |
| Netflix | too few | 4 |
| Dell Products L.P. | too few | 4 |
| too few | 3 | |
| Amazon | too few | 2 |
| Apple | too few | 2 |
| AppLovin | too few | 2 |
| Intent Lab | 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 | $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.