Principal Engineer H-1B salaries — 2,679 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 357
- Filings · FY2025
- $167k
- Median base · FY2025
- $148k–$201k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Commvault Systems
- Top sponsor · 103 all-time
Principal Engineer: 2,679 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $167k across 357 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $148k and $201k. The biggest sponsors are Commvault Systems, Autodesk, Arm; most filings are in San Jose, CA.
How much does a Principal 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. $167k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Engineer sponsorship changed?
149 certified filings in FY2016 → 259 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 259 | −27% | $175k |
| FY2025 | 357 | +48% | $167k |
| FY2024 | 242 | −4% | $165k |
| FY2023 | 252 | −17% | $156k |
| FY2022 | 303 | +28% | $155k |
| FY2021 | 237 | −6% | $142k |
| FY2020 | 253 | +6% | $139k |
| FY2019 | 239 | +14% | $134k |
| FY2018 | 210 | +18% | $129k |
| FY2017 | 178 | +19% | $125k |
| FY2016 | 149 | — | $120k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal 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 | Commvault Systems | 103 | $133k |
| 2 | Autodesk | 99 | $156k |
| 3 | Arm | 71 | $160k |
| 4 | Sambanova Systems | 65 | $161k |
| 5 | Tsmc Technology | 63 | $145k |
| 6 | Teksystems Global Services | 53 | $115k |
| 7 | Palo Alto Networks | 49 | $193k |
| 8 | Cisco Systems | 46 | $185k |
| 9 | Fusion Solutions | 33 | $118k |
| 10 | Comerica Management | 33 | $144k |
Where are H-1B Principal Engineer jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 231 | $178k |
| 2 | Santa Clara, CA | 165 | $184k |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | 141 | $170k |
| 4 | Austin, TX | 115 | $155k |
| 5 | Tinton Falls, NJ | 74 | $124k |
| 6 | Palo Alto, CA | 69 | $165k |
| 7 | Richardson, TX | 60 | $120k |
| 8 | New York, NY | 52 | $157k |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | 44 | $160k |
| 10 | Mountain View, CA | 41 | $200k |
Common questions about Principal Engineer H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Engineer?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Engineer is $167k (FY2025), from 357 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $122k and $180k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Engineers?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Engineer are Commvault Systems, Autodesk, Arm.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Engineer jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Engineer roles are San Jose, CA, Santa Clara, CA, San Francisco, CA.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal 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 →