Lead AI Engineer H-1B salaries — 63 certified filings (FY2020–FY2026)
- 12
- Filings · FY2025
- $161k
- Median base · FY2025
- $104k–$171k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Target Enterprise
- Top sponsor · 17 all-time
Lead AI Engineer: 63 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2020. In FY2025 the median base salary was $161k across 12 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $104k and $171k. The biggest sponsors are Target Enterprise, Capital One Services, Boston Consulting Group; most filings are in Sunnyvale, CA.
How much does a Lead AI 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. $161k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Lead AI Engineer sponsorship changed?
7 certified filings in FY2020 → 31 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 31 | +158% | $190k |
| FY2025 | 12 | +71% | $161k |
| FY2024 | 7 | +250% | $180k |
| FY2023 | 2 | −33% | $165k |
| FY2022 | 3 | +200% | $128k |
| FY2021 | 1 | −86% | $171k |
| FY2020 | 7 | — | $132k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Lead AI 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 | Target Enterprise | 17 | $155k |
| 2 | Capital One Services | 7 | $178k |
| 3 | Boston Consulting Group | 5 | $225k |
| 4 | Electronic Arts | 1 | $165k |
| 5 | The Boston Consulting Group | 1 | $192k |
| 6 | MI Softech | 1 | $132k |
| 7 | IBM | 1 | $167k |
| 8 | Afiniti | 1 | $160k |
| 9 | Sicl America | 1 | $104k |
| 10 | Ascend Learning | 1 | $186k |
Where are H-1B Lead AI Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale, CA | 12 | $155k |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | 5 | $128k |
| 3 | San Jose, CA | 5 | $201k |
| 4 | New York, NY | 2 | $190k |
| 5 | Houston, TX | 2 | $107k |
| 6 | Washington, DC | 2 | $160k |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | 2 | $225k |
| 8 | Draper, UT | 2 | $102k |
| 9 | Duarte, CA | 1 | $215k |
| 10 | Edison, NJ | 1 | $132k |
Common questions about Lead AI Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Lead AI Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Lead AI Engineer is $161k (FY2025), from 12 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $132k and $195k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Lead AI Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Lead AI Engineer are Target Enterprise, Capital One Services, Boston Consulting Group.
- Where are most H-1B Lead AI Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Lead AI Engineer roles are Sunnyvale, CA, Minneapolis, MN, San Jose, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Lead AI 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 (FY2020–FY2026). An LCA is not an approved visa; pay figures are base salary and exclude bonus and equity. Methodology →