Expert Project Manager salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 243 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Project Management Specialist, Project Coordinator
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $179,171 |
| 25th | $179,421 |
| 50th (median) | $190,000 |
| 75th | $219,178 |
| 90th | $235,800 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 8 |
| FY2023 | $172,000 | $160,445 | $220,129 | 31 |
| FY2024 | $229,258 | $229,258 | $232,000 | 27 |
| FY2025 | $180,000 | $179,171 | $219,178 | 99 |
| FY2026 | $197,125 | $180,000 | $218,875 | 144 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Project Manager salary of $190,000 is worth about $172,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Project Management Specialists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $135,120 in May 2025 (10,300 employed). The H-1B median here is $190,000, 41% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Intuit | $215,625 | 71 |
| PayPal | $215,000 | 23 |
| $179,421 | 19 | |
| Apple | $179,296 | 12 |
| NVIDIA | $189,711 | 12 |
| eBay | $196,460 | 11 |
| TikTok | too few | 6 |
| Applied Materials | too few | 6 |
| Cognizant | too few | 4 |
| Archer Aviation | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $94,300 | 62 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $125,500 | 138 |
| Senior · Level III | $157,594 | 151 |
| Expert · Level IV | $190,000 | 243 |
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 | $91,832 | $94,300 | 62 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $121,035 | $125,500 | 138 |
| Senior · Level III | $150,218 | $157,594 | 151 |
| Expert · Level IV | $179,421 | $190,000 | 243 |
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.