Validation Engineer salary in Denver, CO

Based on 37 certified H-1B filings in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Golden, Arvada, Lakewood, Broomfield, Englewood.

Median salary$105,373
Middle 50%$101.2k–$119.5k
vs. national median−17%comparison median $126,418
Filings37FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $75,520 and $148,200.
PercentileSalary
10th$82,800
25th$101,150
50th (median)$105,373
75th$119,496
90th$123,344

Salary by year

Median salary

$80k $105k $130k FY2020: median $90,000 (17 filings) FY2021: median $95,198 (18 filings) FY2022: median $96,221 (33 filings) FY2023: median $97,531 (33 filings) FY2024: median $105,373 (29 filings) FY2025: median $103,459 (23 filings) FY2026: median $117,248 (14 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 17 filings FY20 FY2021: 18 filings FY21 FY2022: 33 filings FY22 FY2023: 33 filings FY23 FY2024: 29 filings FY24 FY2025: 23 filings FY25 FY2026: 14 filings FY26 33
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$90,000$77,771$95,03517
FY2021$95,198$90,189$101,41518
FY2022$96,221$80,558$100,00033
FY2023$97,531$80,558$99,02933
FY2024$105,373$90,000$132,00029
FY2025$103,459$89,252$112,43523
FY2026$117,248$102,102$119,49614

Cost of living

Denver's median Validation Engineer salary of $105,373 is worth about $99,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Denver = 105.8).

Compared with all workers here

All Validation Engineers in the Denver, CO area earned a median of $131,740 in May 2025 (1,270 employed). The H-1B median here is $105,373, 20% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Alliance for Sustainable Energy$105,37313
Alliance for Energy Innovationtoo few6
Charter Communicationstoo few3
Zuvan Renewablestoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $83,500 10
Mid-level · Level II too few 2
Senior · Level III $105,373 15
Expert · Level IV too few 7

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$82,389$83,50010
Senior · Level III$103,459$105,37315

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.