Mid-level Validation Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 307 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $127,000 |
| 25th | $129,459 |
| 50th (median) | $146,316 |
| 75th | $162,168 |
| 90th | $198,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $108,075 | $100,526 | $132,500 | 144 |
| FY2021 | $120,000 | $105,000 | $145,000 | 145 |
| FY2022 | $125,000 | $113,406 | $140,000 | 186 |
| FY2023 | $135,000 | $120,000 | $156,300 | 91 |
| FY2024 | $135,500 | $121,625 | $147,379 | 94 |
| FY2025 | $143,000 | $127,365 | $159,760 | 125 |
| FY2026 | $147,400 | $130,000 | $166,175 | 182 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median mid-level Validation Engineer salary of $146,316 is worth about $132,500 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 $146,316, 14% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Kla | $149,030 | 47 |
| Apple | $147,400 | 21 |
| $198,000 | 14 | |
| Asml | $140,383 | 14 |
| Aurora Operations | $139,000 | 13 |
| Tesla | $193,076 | 12 |
| Waymo | $200,000 | 11 |
| RoboForce | too few | 6 |
| Dexmate | too few | 5 |
| Didi Research America | 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.