Optical Engineer H-1B salaries — 237 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 13
- Filings · FY2025
- $132k
- Median base · FY2025
- $112k–$165k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Kla
- Top sponsor · 27 all-time
Optical Engineer: 237 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $132k across 13 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $112k and $165k. The biggest sponsors are Kla, Microsoft, Kla-tencor; most filings are in Milpitas, CA.
How much does a Optical 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. $132k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Optical Engineer sponsorship changed?
27 certified filings in FY2016 → 12 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 12 | −8% | $148k |
| FY2025 | 13 | −7% | $132k |
| FY2024 | 14 | +8% | $139k |
| FY2023 | 13 | −19% | $150k |
| FY2022 | 16 | −36% | $143k |
| FY2021 | 25 | +19% | $136k |
| FY2020 | 21 | −32% | $101k |
| FY2019 | 31 | −18% | $95k |
| FY2018 | 38 | +41% | $94k |
| FY2017 | 27 | 0% | $95k |
| FY2016 | 27 | — | $84k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Optical 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 | Kla | 27 | $145k |
| 2 | Microsoft | 16 | $148k |
| 3 | Kla-tencor | 11 | $119k |
| 4 | 11 | $140k | |
| 5 | Meta Platforms | 8 | $170k |
| 6 | Source Photonics | 7 | $125k |
| 7 | Optofidelity | 7 | $105k |
| 8 | Leia | 5 | $140k |
| 9 | Nova Biomedical | 5 | $60k |
| 10 | M A-com Technology Solutions | 4 | $70k |
Where are H-1B Optical Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milpitas, CA | 37 | $140k |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | 26 | $137k |
| 3 | Menlo Park, CA | 15 | $140k |
| 4 | Sunnyvale, CA | 15 | $105k |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | 12 | $101k |
| 6 | Mountain View, CA | 9 | $137k |
| 7 | Santa Clara, CA | 7 | $119k |
| 8 | West Hills, CA | 7 | $125k |
| 9 | Cupertino, CA | 5 | $147k |
| 10 | Fremont, CA | 5 | $92k |
Common questions about Optical Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Optical Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Optical Engineer is $132k (FY2025), from 13 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $87k and $140k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Optical Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Optical Engineer are Kla, Microsoft, Kla-tencor.
- Where are most H-1B Optical Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Optical Engineer roles are Milpitas, CA, Redmond, WA, Menlo Park, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Optical 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 →