Entry-level Validation Engineer salary in Minneapolis, MN

Based on 10 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Brooklyn Park, White Bear Lake, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Mounds View.

Median salary$85,114
Middle 50%$80.7k–$85.8k
vs. all levels here−17%comparison median $102,565
Filings10FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $78,562 and $95,066.
PercentileSalary
10th$78,562
25th$80,723
50th (median)$85,114
75th$85,820
90th$89,538

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $70k $80k FY2020: median $74,360 (16 filings) FY2021: median $72,100 (13 filings) FY2022: median $72,384 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 16 filings FY20 FY2021: 13 filings FY21 FY2022: 11 filings FY22 FY2023: 2 filings FY23 FY2024: 5 filings FY24 FY2025: 5 filings FY25 FY2026: 5 filings FY26 16
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$74,360$74,360$75,56316
FY2021$72,100$72,030$83,44813
FY2022$72,384$72,384$73,90011
FY2023–––2
FY2024–––5
FY2025–––5
FY2026–––5

Cost of living

Minneapolis's median entry-level Validation Engineer salary of $85,114 is worth about $81,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Minneapolis = 104.8).

Compared with all workers here

All Validation Engineers in the Minneapolis, MN area earned a median of $120,040 in May 2025 (1,040 employed). The H-1B median here is $85,114, 29% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Rover Roboticstoo few2
Willdan Energy Solutionstoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $85,114 10
Mid-level · Level II too few 5
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

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$78,562$85,11410

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.