Lead Engineer H-1B salaries — 11,358 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 237
- Filings · FY2025
- $142k
- Median base · FY2025
- $120k–$156k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Wipro
- Top sponsor · 9,246 all-time
Lead Engineer: 11,358 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $142k across 237 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $120k and $156k. The biggest sponsors are Wipro, Target Enterprise, Hinduja Tech; most filings are in Sunnyvale, CA.
How much does a Lead 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 Lead Engineer sponsorship changed?
2,542 certified filings in FY2016 → 159 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 159 | −33% | $146k |
| FY2025 | 237 | −11% | $142k |
| FY2024 | 266 | −21% | $124k |
| FY2023 | 336 | −39% | $109k |
| FY2022 | 553 | −48% | $84k |
| FY2021 | 1,067 | +18% | $78k |
| FY2020 | 902 | −42% | $78k |
| FY2019 | 1,566 | −26% | $74k |
| FY2018 | 2,121 | +32% | $73k |
| FY2017 | 1,609 | −37% | $72k |
| FY2016 | 2,542 | — | $70k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Lead 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 | Wipro | 9,246 | $73k |
| 2 | Target Enterprise | 404 | $131k |
| 3 | Hinduja Tech | 82 | $77k |
| 4 | Transunion | 62 | $99k |
| 5 | Gavs Technologies N A | 55 | $85k |
| 6 | Eaton | 53 | $116k |
| 7 | Quest Global Services - N A | 49 | $81k |
| 8 | Brillio | 44 | $107k |
| 9 | Best Buy | 36 | $159k |
| 10 | Quest Global Services - NA | 32 | $66k |
Where are H-1B Lead Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale, CA | 429 | $96k |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 414 | $69k |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | 325 | $126k |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | 315 | $95k |
| 5 | Houston, TX | 248 | $75k |
| 6 | Richfield, MN | 241 | $66k |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | 212 | $71k |
| 8 | Irving, TX | 206 | $79k |
| 9 | Plano, TX | 193 | $79k |
| 10 | New York, NY | 162 | $73k |
Common questions about Lead Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Lead Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Lead Engineer is $142k (FY2025), from 237 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $68k and $89k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Lead Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Lead Engineer are Wipro, Target Enterprise, Hinduja Tech.
- Where are most H-1B Lead Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Lead Engineer roles are Sunnyvale, CA, Austin, TX, Minneapolis, MN.
- Does a certified LCA mean Lead 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 →