Senior Validation Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 31 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $127,200 |
| 25th | $130,000 |
| 50th (median) | $147,000 |
| 75th | $161,003 |
| 90th | $175,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $105,019 | $100,433 | $115,000 | 35 |
| FY2021 | $113,256 | $109,567 | $127,500 | 23 |
| FY2022 | $124,800 | $115,055 | $144,500 | 35 |
| FY2023 | $146,536 | $122,764 | $155,837 | 23 |
| FY2024 | $135,000 | $123,552 | $141,872 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $146,057 | $130,894 | $169,118 | 14 |
| FY2026 | $147,000 | $130,000 | $160,000 | 17 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median senior Validation Engineer salary of $147,000 is worth about $129,400 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 $147,000, 18% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rivian | too few | 8 |
| Field AI | too few | 5 |
| California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory | too few | 3 |
| Motional AD | 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.