Mid-level Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 911 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Researcher
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $164,403 |
| 25th | $186,200 |
| 50th (median) | $200,000 |
| 75th | $220,000 |
| 90th | $240,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $151,603 | $141,586 | $171,600 | 305 |
| FY2021 | $155,155 | $144,123 | $170,000 | 200 |
| FY2022 | $170,000 | $143,874 | $185,000 | 296 |
| FY2023 | $190,000 | $180,274 | $200,000 | 213 |
| FY2024 | $205,000 | $200,000 | $215,000 | 29 |
| FY2025 | $200,000 | $191,922 | $214,530 | 318 |
| FY2026 | $200,000 | $171,600 | $222,000 | 593 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Research Scientist (Computer Science) salary of $200,000 is worth about $181,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer and Information Research Scientists in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $218,420 in May 2025 (2,210 employed). The H-1B median here is $200,000, 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.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $199,800 | 218 |
| $205,000 | 217 | |
| Adobe | $195,000 | 59 |
| NVIDIA | $168,000 | 39 |
| Meta | $186,200 | 35 |
| ByteDance | $252,600 | 23 |
| Mistral AI | $280,000 | 16 |
| Microsoft | $177,500 | 14 |
| Salesforce | $238,359 | 13 |
| Luma AI | $187,500 | 13 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $174,000 | 250 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $200,000 | 911 |
| Senior · Level III | $224,682 | 370 |
| Expert · Level IV | $275,000 | 261 |
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 | $127,712 | $174,000 | 250 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $164,403 | $200,000 | 911 |
| Senior · Level III | $201,094 | $224,682 | 370 |
| Expert · Level IV | $237,786 | $275,000 | 261 |
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.