Principal Engineer I H-1B salaries — 242 certified filings (FY2016–FY2026)
- 45
- Filings · FY2025
- $143k
- Median base · FY2025
- $131k–$155k
- Middle 50% · FY2025
- Charter Communications
- Top sponsor · 194 all-time
Principal Engineer I: 242 certified H-1B LCAs since FY2016. In FY2025 the median base salary was $143k across 45 filings, with the middle 50% of offers between $131k and $155k. The biggest sponsors are Charter Communications, Hughes Network Systems, Western Alliance Bank; most filings are in Greenwood Village, CO.
How much does a Principal Engineer I 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. $143k median in FY2025. Base pay only — hover a year for its figures.
How has Principal Engineer I sponsorship changed?
1 certified filings in FY2016 → 17 in FY2026. The change column is each year against the one before.
| Fiscal year | Filings | vs prior FY | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 17 | −62% | $162k |
| FY2025 | 45 | +96% | $143k |
| FY2024 | 23 | −32% | $133k |
| FY2023 | 34 | −3% | $139k |
| FY2022 | 35 | +84% | $132k |
| FY2021 | 19 | −14% | $129k |
| FY2020 | 22 | +57% | $114k |
| FY2019 | 14 | −30% | $117k |
| FY2018 | 20 | +67% | $106k |
| FY2017 | 12 | +1100% | $106k |
| FY2016 | 1 | — | $113k |
Which companies sponsor H-1B Principal Engineer Is?
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 | Charter Communications | 194 | $129k |
| 2 | Hughes Network Systems | 8 | $134k |
| 3 | Western Alliance Bank | 6 | $143k |
| 4 | Mobiquity | 6 | $119k |
| 5 | CVS Pharmacy | 4 | $188k |
| 6 | Honda Development Manufacturing of America | 3 | $125k |
| 7 | American Megatrends | 2 | $102k |
| 8 | Government Employees Insurance Company Geico | 2 | $157k |
| 9 | Cloudera | 2 | $235k |
| 10 | Confluent | 2 | $270k |
Where are H-1B Principal Engineer I jobs located?
Worksite cities with the most certified filings for this title, all years.
| # | City | Filings | Median base |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenwood Village, CO | 121 | $131k |
| 2 | Englewood, CO | 55 | $117k |
| 3 | Charlotte, NC | 8 | $126k |
| 4 | Germantown, MD | 7 | $134k |
| 5 | Maryland Heights, MO | 6 | $114k |
| 6 | Norcross, GA | 5 | $114k |
| 7 | Irving, TX | 4 | $143k |
| 8 | Raymond, OH | 3 | $125k |
| 9 | St. Louis, MO | 3 | $140k |
| 10 | Centennial, CO | 2 | $140k |
Common questions about Principal Engineer I H-1B salaries
- What is the median H-1B salary for a Principal Engineer I?
- The median certified H-1B base salary for Principal Engineer I is $143k (FY2025), from 45 filings. Across all years the middle 50% earn between $114k and $143k.
- Which companies sponsor the most H-1B Principal Engineer Is?
- The top H-1B sponsors for Principal Engineer I are Charter Communications, Hughes Network Systems, Western Alliance Bank.
- Where are most H-1B Principal Engineer I jobs located?
- The top worksite locations for H-1B Principal Engineer I roles are Greenwood Village, CO, Englewood, CO, Charlotte, NC.
- Does a certified LCA mean Principal Engineer I 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 →