Validation Engineer salary
From 4,988 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2199: Validation Engineers
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 35% of Validation Engineer filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Tesla. 177 filings (4% of the total), median $148,603.
- Pay depends on the city. Among the 10 metro areas with the most filings, the median ranges from $95,410 in Chicago, IL to $160,782 in San Jose, CA.
- Median up 57% since FY2020. From $82,826 in FY2020 to $130,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Validation Engineer H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 4,988 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Validation Engineer jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2199, Validation Engineers). The median base salary is $126,418, 3% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $99,611 and $157,625. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 35% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (945), and Tesla is the employer that files the most (177).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Validation Engineer
Tesla177 filings · 4%$148,603
Kla153 filings · 3%$149,066
Asml127 filings · 3%$129,459
Apple125 filings · 3%$158,621
TORC Robotics74 filings · 1%$163,567
Rivian72 filings · 1%$152,176
Aurora Operations55 filings · 1%$158,621
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory39 filings · 1%$127,872
Capri USA Group37 filings · 1%$130,250
Google36 filings · 1%$197,500
Employers with the most Validation Engineer filings. Bar: share of all Validation Engineer filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 22% of filings
Mid-level · 35% of filings
Senior · 24% of filings
Expert · 19% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $84,198 | 1,083 |
| Level II · Qualified | $116,722 | 1,702 |
| Level III · Experienced | $149,000 | 1,147 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $169,000 | 911 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Validation Engineer pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 57 metro areas
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Validation Engineer does
All engineers not listed separately.
O*NET occupation: Engineers, All Other (17-2199.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Engineers, All Other), the median annual wage was $122,930 in May 2025, with 154,070 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $126,418, 3% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $80,000 | $66,810 |
| 25th percentile | $99,611 | $90,970 |
| Median | $126,418 | $122,930 |
| 75th percentile | $157,625 | $158,090 |
| 90th percentile | $188,000 | $189,950 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $80,000 |
| 25th | $99,611 |
| 50th (median) | $126,418 |
| 75th | $157,625 |
| 90th | $188,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $82,826 | $70,000 | $100,000 | 3,721 |
| FY2021 | $90,000 | $75,987 | $109,533 | 3,902 |
| FY2022 | $97,000 | $80,000 | $120,000 | 4,277 |
| FY2023 | $108,375 | $88,248 | $137,093 | 1,801 |
| FY2024 | $112,828 | $90,000 | $140,075 | 1,934 |
| FY2025 | $119,994 | $93,376 | $150,000 | 2,428 |
| FY2026 | $130,000 | $103,001 | $160,000 | 2,560 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Validation Engineer make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Validation Engineer jobs is $126,418 (4,988 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $99,611 and $157,625.
What does an entry-level Validation Engineer earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $84,198. Level I accounts for 22% of Validation Engineer filings.
Which city pays H-1B Validation Engineers the most?
Among metro areas with at least 100 filings, San Jose, CA has the highest median base salary for Validation Engineer jobs: $160,782 (945 filings).
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Validation Engineers?
Tesla (177), Kla (153) and Asml (127) filed the most Validation Engineer LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Validation Engineers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($126,418) is 3% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($122,930, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.