Hardware Engineer H-1B salaries — 2,939 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 174
- Filings · FY2025
- $142k
- Median base · FY2025
- $109k–$167k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Microsoft
- Top sponsor · 390 all-time
Hardware Engineer: 2,939 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $142k across 174 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $109k and $167k. The biggest sponsors are Microsoft, Intel, Google; most filings are in Santa Clara, CA.
How much does a Hardware 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. $142k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Hardware Engineer sponsorship changed?
343 certified filings in FY2016 → 129 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 129 | −26% | $157k |
| FY2025 | 174 | −8% | $142k |
| FY2024 | 189 | −31% | $154k |
| FY2023 | 274 | −23% | $128k |
| FY2022 | 358 | +54% | $136k |
| FY2021 | 233 | −17% | $115k |
| FY2020 | 280 | −3% | $112k |
| FY2019 | 288 | −14% | $107k |
| FY2018 | 334 | −1% | $109k |
| FY2017 | 337 | −2% | $95k |
| FY2016 | 343 | — | $93k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Hardware 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 | Microsoft | 390 | $145k |
| 2 | Intel | 315 | $111k |
| 3 | 275 | $167k | |
| 4 | Qualcomm Technologies | 268 | $95k |
| 5 | Cisco Systems | 211 | $124k |
| 6 | L T Technology Services | 195 | $82k |
| 7 | Nvidia | 166 | $125k |
| 8 | Qualcomm Atheros | 53 | $97k |
| 9 | Arista Networks | 53 | $131k |
| 10 | Juniper Networks | 36 | $108k |
Where are H-1B Hardware Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | 400 | $126k |
| 2 | Mountain View, CA | 285 | $166k |
| 3 | San Diego, CA | 261 | $101k |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | 218 | $124k |
| 5 | Redmond, WA | 214 | $150k |
| 6 | Sunnyvale, CA | 130 | $154k |
| 7 | Hillsboro, OR | 106 | $99k |
| 8 | Austin, TX | 85 | $106k |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | 68 | $104k |
| 10 | Folsom, CA | 66 | $98k |
Common questions about Hardware Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Hardware Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Hardware Engineer is $142k (FY2025), from 174 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $94k and $148k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Hardware Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Hardware Engineer are Microsoft, Intel, Google.
- Where are most H-1B Hardware Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Hardware Engineer roles are Santa Clara, CA, Mountain View, CA, San Diego, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Hardware 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 →