Senior Validation Engineer salary in San Jose, CA
Based on 305 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $153,254 |
| 25th | $158,621 |
| 50th (median) | $165,724 |
| 75th | $187,762 |
| 90th | $211,856 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $133,363 | $122,949 | $146,044 | 56 |
| FY2021 | $140,000 | $130,000 | $160,000 | 101 |
| FY2022 | $150,000 | $137,125 | $169,500 | 146 |
| FY2023 | $145,288 | $137,093 | $167,000 | 109 |
| FY2024 | $158,000 | $145,288 | $176,375 | 101 |
| FY2025 | $166,566 | $153,254 | $194,930 | 133 |
| FY2026 | $165,000 | $158,621 | $184,764 | 172 |
Cost of living
San Jose's median senior Validation Engineer salary of $165,724 is worth about $150,100 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 $165,724, 2% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $158,621 | 44 |
| Kla | $171,585 | 39 |
| Tesla | $205,000 | 25 |
| Aurora Operations | $162,000 | 13 |
| Applied Materials | $164,213 | 11 |
| Asml | $164,475 | 11 |
| Rivian | $187,329 | 10 |
| Ayar Labs | too few | 8 |
| Didi Research America | too few | 6 |
| Intuitive Surgical Operations | too few | 6 |
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.