Validation Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 119 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Rancho Dominguez, Anaheim.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $77,800 |
| 25th | $101,899 |
| 50th (median) | $127,200 |
| 75th | $155,000 |
| 90th | $175,132 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $81,120 | $79,368 | $100,402 | 180 |
| FY2021 | $87,537 | $84,898 | $106,038 | 210 |
| FY2022 | $100,000 | $91,166 | $117,250 | 196 |
| FY2023 | $108,399 | $86,542 | $146,536 | 70 |
| FY2024 | $120,000 | $97,000 | $139,339 | 53 |
| FY2025 | $124,896 | $95,679 | $149,240 | 50 |
| FY2026 | $130,000 | $102,000 | $155,000 | 69 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Validation Engineer salary of $127,200 is worth about $112,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $125,060 in May 2025 (7,530 employed). The H-1B median here is $127,200, 2% higher.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Field AI | $152,500 | 18 |
| Rivian | $166,125 | 10 |
| California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | too few | 6 |
| Motivo Engineering | too few | 4 |
| Msr Technology Group | too few | 4 |
| Partners In Control | too few | 4 |
| Willdan Energy Solutions | too few | 4 |
| Miso Robotics | too few | 3 |
| Motional AD | too few | 3 |
| Aptiv US Services General Partnership | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $81,200 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $110,000 | 35 |
| Senior · Level III | $147,000 | 31 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,000 | 24 |
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 | $76,586 | $81,200 | 24 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $101,899 | $110,000 | 35 |
| Senior · Level III | $127,192 | $147,000 | 31 |
| Expert · Level IV | $152,506 | $160,000 | 24 |
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.