Entry-level Software Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 2,340 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino.
Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $146,307 |
| 25th | $148,400 |
| 50th (median) | $149,500 |
| 75th | $160,000 |
| 90th | $179,519 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $97,302 | $86,000 | $115,000 | 1,048 |
| FY2021 | $97,534 | $95,430 | $110,000 | 945 |
| FY2022 | $105,000 | $104,291 | $125,000 | 1,431 |
| FY2023 | $130,000 | $115,586 | $141,476 | 1,300 |
| FY2024 | $144,000 | $135,283 | $154,700 | 1,443 |
| FY2025 | $148,400 | $146,307 | $152,600 | 1,232 |
| FY2026 | $151,550 | $149,365 | $170,000 | 1,108 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median entry-level Software Engineer salary of $149,500 is worth about $135,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Developers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $213,110 in May 2025 (87,350 employed). The H-1B median here is $149,500, 30% 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 | $149,365 | 399 |
| TikTok | $168,000 | 146 |
| ByteDance | $170,000 | 104 |
| Netflix | $149,365 | 48 |
| WeRide | $150,000 | 45 |
| Adobe | $149,365 | 44 |
| Rivian | $159,521 | 39 |
| Applied Intuition | $151,700 | 39 |
| Apple | $149,365 | 35 |
| Juniper Networks | $146,307 | 33 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $149,500 | 2,340 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $189,280 | 7,419 |
| Senior · Level III | $226,138 | 3,601 |
| Expert · Level IV | $258,442 | 3,198 |
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 | $149,365 | $149,500 | 2,340 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $172,931 | $189,280 | 7,419 |
| Senior · Level III | $199,534 | $226,138 | 3,601 |
| Expert · Level IV | $226,158 | $258,442 | 3,198 |
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.