Distinguished Engineer H-1B salaries — 179 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 33
- Filings · FY2025
- $240k
- Median base · FY2025
- $180k–$288k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Capital One Services
- Top sponsor · 57 all-time
Distinguished Engineer: 179 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $240k across 33 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $180k and $288k. The biggest sponsors are Capital One Services, Nvidia, Citizens Financial Group; most filings are in Santa Clara, CA.
How much does a Distinguished Engineer make on an H-1B?
Certified base salary by fiscal year: each box is the p25–p75 range, the heavy line the median, the whiskers reach p10–p90. $240k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Distinguished Engineer sponsorship changed?
3 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 | +9% | $214k |
| FY2025 | 33 | +22% | $240k |
| FY2024 | 27 | +8% | $174k |
| FY2023 | 25 | −11% | $193k |
| FY2022 | 28 | +180% | $198k |
| FY2021 | 10 | +100% | $191k |
| FY2020 | 5 | +67% | $238k |
| FY2019 | 3 | −62% | $160k |
| FY2018 | 8 | +700% | $195k |
| FY2017 | 1 | −67% | $216k |
| FY2016 | 3 | — | $160k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Distinguished Engineers?
The employers with the most certified filings, all years, with their median base salary. Open any employer for its full profile.
| # | Employer | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital One Services | 57 | $165k |
| 2 | Nvidia | 10 | $308k |
| 3 | Citizens Financial Group | 6 | $162k |
| 4 | Palo Alto Networks | 6 | $278k |
| 5 | Uber Technologies | 5 | $353k |
| 6 | Cisco Systems | 5 | $248k |
| 7 | Extreme Networks | 4 | $193k |
| 8 | Sapient | 4 | $160k |
| 9 | Nagarro | 3 | $126k |
| 10 | Sonicwall | 3 | $205k |
Where are H-1B Distinguished Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | 24 | $266k |
| 2 | Mclean, VA | 18 | $174k |
| 3 | Richmond, VA | 15 | $145k |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | 14 | $248k |
| 5 | Plano, TX | 14 | $150k |
| 6 | New York, NY | 11 | $288k |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | 8 | $345k |
| 8 | Mountain View, CA | 7 | $230k |
| 9 | Milpitas, CA | 5 | $230k |
| 10 | Irving, TX | 4 | $160k |
Common questions about Distinguished Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Distinguished Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Distinguished Engineer is $240k (FY2025), from 33 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $163k and $265k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Distinguished Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Distinguished Engineer are Capital One Services, Nvidia, Citizens Financial Group.
- Where are most H-1B Distinguished Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Distinguished Engineer roles are Santa Clara, CA, Mclean, VA, Richmond, VA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Distinguished Engineer H-1B visas were 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 does the fiscal year mean here?
- Years are U.S. government fiscal years, October to September: FY2025 runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. This matches how the Department of Labor publishes the disclosure files. The most recent year may be partial until its final quarter is released.
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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 →