Mid-level Software Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 7,419 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $173,000 |
| 25th | $184,681 |
| 50th (median) | $189,280 |
| 75th | $200,000 |
| 90th | $213,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $125,000 | $113,200 | $142,000 | 9,465 |
| FY2021 | $132,500 | $121,000 | $149,000 | 7,008 |
| FY2022 | $144,000 | $131,000 | $160,000 | 8,388 |
| FY2023 | $159,000 | $142,000 | $176,000 | 5,871 |
| FY2024 | $188,000 | $184,662 | $203,000 | 3,026 |
| FY2025 | $186,000 | $178,541 | $193,000 | 4,471 |
| FY2026 | $200,000 | $190,000 | $205,000 | 2,948 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Software Engineer salary of $189,280 is worth about $171,400 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 $189,280, 11% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| $192,000 | 3,082 | |
| Amazon | $192,100 | 1,003 |
| TikTok | $210,000 | 185 |
| ByteDance | $210,000 | 159 |
| Waymo | $200,000 | 145 |
| Adobe | $190,000 | 138 |
| Microsoft | $182,900 | 133 |
| Rivian | $196,982 | 72 |
| Meta | $191,163 | 70 |
| Tesla | $200,000 | 67 |
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.