Expert Validation Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 203 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $179,858 |
| 25th | $187,762 |
| 50th (median) | $190,744 |
| 75th | $215,000 |
| 90th | $239,786 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $150,000 | $145,392 | $163,199 | 29 |
| FY2021 | $172,000 | $151,525 | $192,355 | 45 |
| FY2022 | $175,000 | $159,987 | $203,500 | 71 |
| FY2023 | $170,539 | $159,987 | $185,000 | 55 |
| FY2024 | $180,000 | $170,700 | $197,481 | 62 |
| FY2025 | $188,452 | $179,858 | $213,250 | 83 |
| FY2026 | $199,763 | $187,762 | $220,000 | 120 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median expert Validation Engineer salary of $190,744 is worth about $172,700 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 $190,744, 12% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $187,762 | 34 |
| Kla | $206,781 | 10 |
| too few | 9 | |
| Aurora Operations | too few | 9 |
| Applied Materials | too few | 7 |
| Auris Health | too few | 5 |
| Blue River Technology | too few | 5 |
| General Motors Company | too few | 5 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations | too few | 5 |
| Woven by Toyota | too few | 5 |
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.