Software Developer H-1B salary at IBM — 1,263 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 90
- Filings · FY2025
- $182k
- Median base · FY2025
- $165k–$196k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- +19%
- vs market median · all years
IBM filed 90 certified H-1B LCAs for Software Developer in FY2025, with a median base salary of $182k and the middle 50% of offers between $165k and $196k. Across all years its $110k median is 19% above the $93k market median for Software Developer. It has filed 1,263 Software Developer LCAs since FY2016, most often in San Jose, CA.
How much does IBM pay a Software Developer?
Certified base salary for Software Developer at IBM by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $182k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
Does IBM pay Software Developers above the market?
IBM's all-years median against every employer's certified Software Developer LCAs — 19% above the market. Same cleaned DOL title, same base-salary definition, so the two rows compare like for like.
| Base salary for this title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| IBM | 1,263 | $110k |
| All employers · Software Developer | 232,427 | $93k |
How has IBM's Software Developer hiring changed by year?
28 certified Software Developer filings in FY2016 → 45 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 45 | −50% | $188k |
| FY2025 | 90 | −6% | $182k |
| FY2024 | 96 | +182% | $180k |
| FY2023 | 34 | 0% | $155k |
| FY2022 | 34 | −11% | $131k |
| FY2021 | 38 | −50% | $109k |
| FY2020 | 76 | −79% | $125k |
| FY2019 | 360 | +8% | $97k |
| FY2018 | 332 | +155% | $105k |
| FY2017 | 130 | +364% | $94k |
| FY2016 | 28 | — | $79k |
Which wage levels does IBM file for Software Developer?
DOL prevailing-wage levels I–IV approximate experience tiers (I = entry, IV = fully competent). 26% of IBM's Software Developer filings sit at Level III–IV. Higher levels earn more entries in the wage-weighted H-1B lottery.
Share of 1,229 Software Developer filings with a wage level · all years
- Level I0.1%1
- Level II74.1%911
- Level III10.7%131
- Level IV15.1%186
Where does IBM hire H-1B Software Developers?
Worksite states and cities on the certified filings for this title, all years, with the median base salary at each.
| State | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| California | 466 | $122k |
| Texas | 215 | $91k |
| North Carolina | 160 | $93k |
| New York | 157 | $110k |
| Massachusetts | 127 | $111k |
| Georgia | 34 | $105k |
| Illinois | 20 | $90k |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | $104k |
| City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 386 | $125k |
| Austin, TX | 185 | $88k |
| Durham, NC | 154 | $93k |
| Yorktown Heights, NY | 65 | $111k |
| New York, NY | 56 | $107k |
| Littleton, MA | 54 | $90k |
| Cambridge, MA | 38 | $98k |
| San Francisco, CA | 28 | $121k |
Also filed as
IBM's other sponsored titles, and the employers that file the most Software Developer LCAs. All years.
Other titles at IBM
| Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Application Developer | 3,199 | $86k |
| Managing Consultant | 854 | $124k |
| Software Engineer | 847 | $92k |
| Application Architect | 797 | $108k |
| Package Consultant | 730 | $104k |
| Test Specialist | 612 | $76k |
| Project Manager | 580 | $97k |
| IT Specialist | 420 | $81k |
| Senior Managing Consultant | 417 | $159k |
| Senior Consultant | 383 | $101k |
Top Software Developer sponsors
| Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Compunnel Software Group | 9,781 | $102k |
| Oracle America | 2,836 | $124k |
| Cgi Technologies and Solutions | 2,662 | $107k |
| Mastech Digital Technologies | 2,198 | $94k |
| Tata Consultancy Services | 2,090 | $117k |
| Ltimindtree | 1,389 | $106k |
| System Soft Technologies | 1,380 | $95k |
| Federal Soft Systems | 1,292 | $82k |
| Diaspark | 1,221 | $79k |
Common questions about Software Developer H-1B pay at IBM
- How much does IBM pay a Software Developer on an H-1B?
- IBM's median certified H-1B base salary for Software Developer is $182k in FY2025, from 90 filings; the middle 50% of offers fall between $165k and $196k. Across all years the median is $110k.
- How many Software Developer H-1B LCAs has IBM filed?
- IBM has 1,263 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Software Developer on record (FY2016–FY2026), 45 of them in FY2026. That is 5% of its 23,826 certified filings across all titles.
- Does IBM pay Software Developers above the market?
- IBM's all-years median of $110k is 19% above the $93k median for Software Developer across all H-1B employers (232,427 certified filings).
- Where does IBM hire H-1B Software Developers?
- IBM's Software Developer LCAs name worksites mostly in California, Texas, North Carolina; the top cities are San Jose, CA, Austin, TX, Durham, NC.
- 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 →