Principal Application Engineer H-1B salaries — 555 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 105
- Filings · FY2025
- $150k
- Median base · FY2025
- $149k–$153k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Dfs Corporate Services
- Top sponsor · 251 all-time
Principal Application Engineer: 555 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $150k across 105 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $149k and $153k. The biggest sponsors are Dfs Corporate Services, Cadence Design Systems, Capital One Services; most filings are in Riverwoods, IL.
How much does a Principal Application 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. $150k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Application Engineer sponsorship changed?
12 certified filings in FY2016 → 91 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 91 | −13% | $149k |
| FY2025 | 105 | +31% | $150k |
| FY2024 | 80 | −25% | $145k |
| FY2023 | 106 | +86% | $135k |
| FY2022 | 57 | +280% | $127k |
| FY2021 | 15 | −37% | $152k |
| FY2020 | 24 | −14% | $140k |
| FY2019 | 28 | +22% | $123k |
| FY2018 | 23 | +64% | $121k |
| FY2017 | 14 | +17% | $133k |
| FY2016 | 12 | — | $120k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal Application 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 | Dfs Corporate Services | 251 | $145k |
| 2 | Cadence Design Systems | 161 | $142k |
| 3 | Capital One Services | 45 | $149k |
| 4 | Pulse Network | 20 | $145k |
| 5 | Diners Club International | 8 | $145k |
| 6 | Ansys | 7 | $151k |
| 7 | The Mathworks | 6 | $152k |
| 8 | Nxp USA | 6 | $140k |
| 9 | The Hanover Insurance | 5 | $110k |
| 10 | Citrix Systems | 4 | $130k |
Where are H-1B Principal Application Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverwoods, IL | 286 | $145k |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 103 | $155k |
| 3 | Austin, TX | 28 | $140k |
| 4 | Houston, TX | 12 | $130k |
| 5 | San Diego, CA | 12 | $133k |
| 6 | Irvine, CA | 10 | $140k |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 6 | $130k |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | 4 | $121k |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | 4 | $110k |
| 10 | Rocklin, CA | 3 | $90k |
Common questions about Principal Application Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Application Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Application Engineer is $150k (FY2025), from 105 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $134k and $150k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Application Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Application Engineer are Dfs Corporate Services, Cadence Design Systems, Capital One Services.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Application Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Application Engineer roles are Riverwoods, IL, San Jose, CA, Austin, TX.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal Application 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 →