Senior Sales Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 182 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, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto.
Also listed as: Solutions Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $168,958 |
| 25th | $168,958 |
| 50th (median) | $171,018 |
| 75th | $190,000 |
| 90th | $200,980 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $140,000 | $136,947 | $156,863 | 110 |
| FY2021 | $149,000 | $136,947 | $159,884 | 82 |
| FY2022 | $158,038 | $150,093 | $175,000 | 109 |
| FY2023 | $158,746 | $158,038 | $168,000 | 94 |
| FY2024 | $158,746 | $158,746 | $169,770 | 95 |
| FY2025 | $171,408 | $169,770 | $193,272 | 94 |
| FY2026 | $169,979 | $168,958 | $190,000 | 88 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Sales Engineer salary of $171,018 is worth about $154,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Sales Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $177,490 in May 2025 (1,600 employed). The H-1B median here is $171,018, 4% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| $189,000 | 29 | |
| Cisco Systems | $168,958 | 26 |
| NVIDIA | $169,364 | 14 |
| ServiceNow | too few | 9 |
| Microsoft | too few | 8 |
| Intel | too few | 6 |
| Rubrik | too few | 5 |
| Wipro | too few | 4 |
| Cadence Design Systems | too few | 4 |
| Infineon Technologies Americas | 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 | $109,491 | 66 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $140,000 | 161 |
| Senior · Level III | $171,018 | 182 |
| Expert · Level IV | $200,304 | 238 |
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 | $108,722 | $109,491 | 66 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $139,235 | $140,000 | 161 |
| Senior · Level III | $168,958 | $171,018 | 182 |
| Expert · Level IV | $198,702 | $200,304 | 238 |
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.