CA — 1,015 certified H-1B filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 84
- Filings · FY2025
- $150k
- Median base · FY2025
- R&d Engineer Software
- Top role · 318 all-time
- CA
- Top state · 384 all-time
CA filed 84 certified H-1B LCAs in FY2025 (up 100% from the year before), with a median base salary of $150k and the middle 50% of offers between $140k and $163k. That is 5% below the market median for the same job titles. Across all years it has 1,015 certified filings since FY2016, most often for R&d Engineer Software in California.
How much does CA pay H-1B workers?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $150k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has CA's H-1B hiring changed by year?
145 certified filings in FY2016 → 36 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 36 | −57% | $155k |
| FY2025 | 84 | +100% | $150k |
| FY2024 | 42 | −34% | $142k |
| FY2023 | 64 | −33% | $150k |
| FY2022 | 95 | +61% | $150k |
| FY2021 | 59 | −45% | $142k |
| FY2020 | 108 | +69% | $141k |
| FY2019 | 64 | −59% | $133k |
| FY2018 | 158 | −1% | $120k |
| FY2017 | 160 | +10% | $122k |
| FY2016 | 145 | — | $115k |
Which wage levels does CA file?
DOL prevailing-wage levels I–IV approximate experience tiers (I = entry, IV = fully competent). 62% of CA's filings sit at Level III–IV. A heavy I–II skew reads as entry-level or contractor-style hiring; a heavy IV skew as senior in-house roles — and higher levels earn more lottery entries.
Share of 597 filings with a wage level · all years
- Level I3.2%19
- Level II35.2%210
- Level III18.8%112
- Level IV42.9%256
What jobs does CA sponsor for H-1B?
The most-filed job titles across all years (DOL titles, employer pay-grade codes stripped), with base-salary percentiles. Open a title for CA's pay on that role by year, wage level and worksite.
| Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| R&d Engineer Software | 318 | $145k |
| Senior Services Consultant | 79 | $108k |
| Services Architect | 53 | $131k |
| Software Engineer | 47 | $102k |
| Senior Software Engineer | 39 | $125k |
| Client Services Consultant | 35 | $153k |
| Principal Software Engineer | 32 | $148k |
| R&d Engineer Sw Quality | 24 | $137k |
| Associate Software Engineer | 21 | $98k |
| SAAS Platform & Delivery Engineer | 20 | $155k |
Where does CA hire H-1B workers?
Worksite states on the certified filings, all years. Deeper pink = more filings; hover a state for its figures.
| State | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 384 | $149k |
| TX | 157 | $127k |
| MA | 110 | $127k |
| NY | 61 | $116k |
| IL | 52 | $137k |
| NC | 50 | $135k |
| GA | 28 | $123k |
| UT | 27 | $119k |
| NJ | 19 | $135k |
| CO | 18 | $115k |
What has CA filed recently?
The 50 most recent of 1,015 certified LCAs: job title, worksite, prevailing-wage level and the offered base salary.
Common questions about CA's H-1B filings
- How much does CA pay H-1B workers?
- CA's median certified H-1B base salary is $150k (FY2025), from 84 filings. See the full salary distribution and percentiles above.
- How many H-1B workers does CA sponsor?
- CA has 1,015 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications on record (FY2016–FY2026).
- What jobs does CA sponsor for H-1B?
- CA's most-sponsored H-1B roles include R&d Engineer Software, Senior Services Consultant, Services Architect, Software Engineer.
- Where does CA hire H-1B workers?
- CA's top H-1B worksite states are CA, TX, MA, NY.
- Does a certified LCA mean an H-1B visa was approved?
- No. A Labor Condition Application (LCA) is the Department of Labor attestation an employer must have certified before filing an H-1B petition with USCIS. It records the job, worksite and offered wage, but not whether the petition was filed, selected in the lottery, or approved. Filing counts measure intent to sponsor, not headcount.
- What salary do these figures show?
- The base annual wage offered on the certified LCA, converted to a yearly amount. Bonus, equity, overtime and benefits are not included, so total compensation is typically higher. Figures are medians and percentiles over certified filings; wages above $5,000,000 a year are excluded as data-entry errors.
- What do prevailing-wage levels I–IV mean?
- The Department of Labor assigns each LCA an OES wage level from I (entry) to IV (fully competent) for the occupation and area. Under the FY2027 wage-weighted H-1B lottery rule, a higher level earns more selection entries, so an employer's level mix is a proxy for how senior its sponsored roles are.
Keep exploring
Calculate your H-1B lottery odds →orCheck out the insights →
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification — certified LCA disclosure data through June 2026 (FY2016–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →