Principal Design Engineer H-1B salaries — 194 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 17
- Filings · FY2025
- $155k
- Median base · FY2025
- $151k–$175k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Cadence Design Systems
- Top sponsor · 90 all-time
Principal Design Engineer: 194 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $155k across 17 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $151k and $175k. The biggest sponsors are Cadence Design Systems, Arm, Haier US Appliance Solutions; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Principal 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. $155k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Design Engineer sponsorship changed?
19 certified filings in FY2016 → 15 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 15 | −12% | $157k |
| FY2025 | 17 | +31% | $155k |
| FY2024 | 13 | −24% | $180k |
| FY2023 | 17 | −19% | $177k |
| FY2022 | 21 | +5% | $148k |
| FY2021 | 20 | −5% | $133k |
| FY2020 | 21 | +31% | $142k |
| FY2019 | 16 | −24% | $141k |
| FY2018 | 21 | +50% | $126k |
| FY2017 | 14 | −26% | $120k |
| FY2016 | 19 | — | $136k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal 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 | 90 | $144k |
| 2 | Arm | 17 | $155k |
| 3 | Haier US Appliance Solutions | 9 | $135k |
| 4 | Fluor Enterprises | 7 | $169k |
| 5 | Micron Technology | 7 | $188k |
| 6 | Microchip Technology | 7 | $92k |
| 7 | Jabil | 5 | $150k |
| 8 | Nxp USA | 3 | $175k |
| 9 | Itron | 2 | $97k |
| 10 | Toshiba Memory America | 2 | $165k |
Where are H-1B Principal Design Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 87 | $153k |
| 2 | Austin, TX | 25 | $155k |
| 3 | Cary, NC | 9 | $133k |
| 4 | Louisville, KY | 9 | $135k |
| 5 | Chandler, AZ | 7 | $92k |
| 6 | Irvine, CA | 3 | $125k |
| 7 | Santa Clara, CA | 3 | $136k |
| 8 | Mountain View, CA | 3 | $200k |
| 9 | Sugar Land, TX | 3 | $169k |
| 10 | Hillsboro, OR | 2 | $113k |
Common questions about Principal Design Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Design Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Design Engineer is $155k (FY2025), from 17 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $126k and $167k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Design Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Design Engineer are Cadence Design Systems, Arm, Haier US Appliance Solutions.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Design Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Design Engineer roles are San Jose, CA, Austin, TX, Cary, NC.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal 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 →