Lead Design Engineer H-1B salaries — 189 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 12
- Filings · FY2025
- $136k
- Median base · FY2025
- $104k–$151k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Cadence Design Systems
- Top sponsor · 87 all-time
Lead Design Engineer: 189 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $136k across 12 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $104k and $151k. The biggest sponsors are Cadence Design Systems, North American Lighting, Target Enterprise; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Lead Design 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. $136k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Lead Design Engineer sponsorship changed?
18 certified filings in FY2016 → 24 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 24 | +100% | $130k |
| FY2025 | 12 | −20% | $136k |
| FY2024 | 15 | −25% | $125k |
| FY2023 | 20 | −9% | $107k |
| FY2022 | 22 | +100% | $124k |
| FY2021 | 11 | −21% | $114k |
| FY2020 | 14 | −26% | $112k |
| FY2019 | 19 | +12% | $109k |
| FY2018 | 17 | 0% | $98k |
| FY2017 | 17 | −6% | $111k |
| FY2016 | 18 | — | $109k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Lead Design 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 | Cadence Design Systems | 87 | $120k |
| 2 | North American Lighting | 8 | $125k |
| 3 | Target Enterprise | 7 | $139k |
| 4 | Technosoft Engineering | 6 | $114k |
| 5 | Haier US Appliance Solutions | 5 | $96k |
| 6 | Freemyer Industrial Pressure | 4 | $78k |
| 7 | Intersil Communications Llc an Intersil Corporation | 4 | $109k |
| 8 | Hella Corporate Center USA | 3 | $110k |
| 9 | Acuity Brands Lighting | 3 | $108k |
| 10 | Cyient | 3 | $66k |
Where are H-1B Lead Design Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 58 | $124k |
| 2 | Cary, NC | 14 | $92k |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 11 | $124k |
| 4 | Farmington Hills, MI | 8 | $125k |
| 5 | Sunnyvale, CA | 6 | $139k |
| 6 | Louisville, KY | 6 | $96k |
| 7 | Columbia, MD | 4 | $98k |
| 8 | Fort Worth, TX | 4 | $78k |
| 9 | Valhalla, NY | 4 | $114k |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | 4 | $71k |
Common questions about Lead Design Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Lead Design Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Lead Design Engineer is $136k (FY2025), from 12 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $96k and $127k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Lead Design Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Lead Design Engineer are Cadence Design Systems, North American Lighting, Target Enterprise.
- Where are most H-1B Lead Design Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Lead Design Engineer roles are San Jose, CA, Cary, NC, Austin, TX.
- Does a certified LCA mean Lead Design 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 →