Software Engineer H-1B salary at IBM — 847 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 68
- Filings · FY2025
- $102k
- Median base · FY2025
- $101k–$140k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- −17%
- vs market median · all years
IBM filed 68 certified H-1B LCAs for Software Engineer in FY2025, with a median base salary of $102k and the middle 50% of offers between $101k and $140k. Across all years its $92k median is 17% below the $111k market median for Software Engineer. It has filed 847 Software Engineer LCAs since FY2016, most often in Phoenix, AZ.
How much does IBM pay a Software Engineer?
Certified base salary for Software Engineer at IBM by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $102k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
Does IBM pay Software Engineers above the market?
IBM's all-years median against every employer's certified Software Engineer LCAs — 17% below 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 | 847 | $92k |
| All employers · Software Engineer | 301,963 | $111k |
How has IBM's Software Engineer hiring changed by year?
124 certified Software Engineer filings in FY2016 → 7 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 7 | −90% | $189k |
| FY2025 | 68 | −9% | $102k |
| FY2024 | 75 | +121% | $104k |
| FY2023 | 34 | −43% | $84k |
| FY2022 | 60 | +15% | $93k |
| FY2021 | 52 | −15% | $82k |
| FY2020 | 61 | −55% | $87k |
| FY2019 | 137 | +1% | $94k |
| FY2018 | 136 | +46% | $99k |
| FY2017 | 93 | −25% | $90k |
| FY2016 | 124 | — | $77k |
Which wage levels does IBM file for Software Engineer?
DOL prevailing-wage levels I–IV approximate experience tiers (I = entry, IV = fully competent). 34% of IBM's Software Engineer filings sit at Level III–IV. Higher levels earn more entries in the wage-weighted H-1B lottery.
Share of 716 Software Engineer filings with a wage level · all years
- Level II66.1%473
- Level III25.4%182
- Level IV8.5%61
Where does IBM hire H-1B Software Engineers?
Worksite states and cities on the certified filings for this title, all years, with the median base salary at each.
| State | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 260 | $86k |
| California | 168 | $103k |
| Texas | 109 | $91k |
| North Carolina | 77 | $85k |
| Massachusetts | 71 | $90k |
| New York | 64 | $95k |
| Florida | 17 | $70k |
| New Jersey | 17 | $76k |
| City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 258 | $86k |
| San Jose, CA | 118 | $111k |
| Durham, NC | 74 | $85k |
| Austin, TX | 64 | $88k |
| Littleton, MA | 35 | $89k |
| New York, NY | 34 | $93k |
| Yorktown Heights, NY | 24 | $106k |
| Dallas, TX | 23 | $94k |
Also filed as
IBM's other sponsored titles, and the employers that file the most Software Engineer LCAs. All years.
Other titles at IBM
| Job title | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Application Developer | 3,199 | $86k |
| Software Developer | 1,263 | $110k |
| Managing Consultant | 854 | $124k |
| 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 Engineer sponsors
| Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | 29,968 | $142k |
| 27,422 | $170k | |
| Meta Platforms | 12,265 | $200k |
| 7,220 | $167k | |
| Mphasis | 5,479 | $107k |
| Intel | 5,159 | $118k |
| Natsoft | 1,994 | $97k |
| Cisco Systems | 1,899 | $127k |
| Nvidia | 1,830 | $171k |
| Uber Technologies | 1,635 | $140k |
Common questions about Software Engineer H-1B pay at IBM
- How much does IBM pay a Software Engineer on an H-1B?
- IBM's median certified H-1B base salary for Software Engineer is $102k in FY2025, from 68 filings; the middle 50% of offers fall between $101k and $140k. Across all years the median is $92k.
- How many Software Engineer H-1B LCAs has IBM filed?
- IBM has 847 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Software Engineer on record (FY2016–FY2026), 7 of them in FY2026. That is 4% of its 23,826 certified filings across all titles.
- Does IBM pay Software Engineers above the market?
- IBM's all-years median of $92k is 17% below the $111k median for Software Engineer across all H-1B employers (301,963 certified filings).
- Where does IBM hire H-1B Software Engineers?
- IBM's Software Engineer LCAs name worksites mostly in Arizona, California, Texas; the top cities are Phoenix, AZ, San Jose, CA, 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
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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 →