Validation Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 945 certified H-1B filings in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mountain View, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $126,672 |
| 25th | $144,463 |
| 50th (median) | $160,782 |
| 75th | $189,000 |
| 90th | $215,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $122,949 | $100,526 | $145,000 | 273 |
| FY2021 | $132,613 | $113,500 | $150,000 | 365 |
| FY2022 | $138,093 | $118,500 | $160,000 | 473 |
| FY2023 | $146,000 | $137,093 | $170,539 | 275 |
| FY2024 | $154,275 | $136,344 | $177,320 | 293 |
| FY2025 | $160,000 | $139,500 | $185,000 | 407 |
| FY2026 | $164,215 | $147,400 | $190,000 | 538 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median Validation Engineer salary of $160,782 is worth about $145,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Jose = 110.4).
Compared with all workers here
All Validation Engineers in the San Jose, CA area earned a median of $169,650 in May 2025 (4,970 employed). The H-1B median here is $160,782, 5% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Kla | $157,547 | 114 |
| Apple | $158,621 | 110 |
| Tesla | $205,000 | 45 |
| Aurora Operations | $159,000 | 35 |
| $198,625 | 28 | |
| Asml | $153,254 | 25 |
| Applied Materials | $165,218 | 24 |
| Rivian | $178,500 | 17 |
| Waymo | $200,000 | 17 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations | $153,300 | 16 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $117,389 | 103 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $146,316 | 307 |
| Senior · Level III | $165,724 | 305 |
| Expert · Level IV | $190,744 | 203 |
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 | $100,318 | $117,389 | 103 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $129,459 | $146,316 | 307 |
| Senior · Level III | $158,621 | $165,724 | 305 |
| Expert · Level IV | $187,762 | $190,744 | 203 |
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.